Reset Rut
by Lauralie20
Summary: Frisk has made a big mistake. She Resets after a True Pacifist ending, on the anniversary of her falling into the Underground. She starts a cycle of Resets as she loses control over the Reset part of her magic. And, to make matters worse, Chara's fighting to take control and wreck all of Time and make both Humanity and Monster kind pay for what happened to her. (ABANDONED)
1. Prologue through to Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale or any of the characters within it.

Prologue:

 _Deep within the Underground, a golden flower slumbered. As he slept, the flower dreamed. Dreams of past timelines. Dreams of his friends. Dreams of that human. Dreams of his family._

 _Suddenly, footsteps echoed throughout the chamber, awakening the flower. He stirred, moaning. A familiar figure approached, cloaked in shadow._

" _Frisk?" the flower called, confused. It had been so long since anyone had visited him. And he didn't expect to see that human ever again. Not after what happened._

 _The shadowy figure stepped forward, and the light of the cavern showed the true face of the flower's visitor. The flower shrank back with a gasp, shock plain on his petaled visage._

" _Chara? But… You're dead!" The flower looked on in surprise as his best friend stepped closer._

 _A terrible, twisted laugh came out the child's mouth, making the flower shudder. "Oh, I'm dead, alright. Just not for much longer."_

 _The flower looked his friend up and down, horror on his face. The child was translucent, almost ghostly in appearance. Her face was pale, the rosy blush on her cheeks gone. Her eyes were a dull red, shining down on the flower with distaste. Her hair, once beautiful and shiny, was a matted, tangled mess. Her clothes were torn, dirty, and bloody. And her locket, the one the flower had given her so long ago, was gone. He gulped. "What happened to you, Chara?"_

 _Another hallow laugh. The flower shrank back. There was a dark power in that laugh, one that made his roots shiver. "Oh, it's simple, really. I died, then came back. I died again. And now… Now I'm coming back. I may be a shadow of my former self, but I plan to fix that. However." Chara paused. "I will need your help."_

 _The flower gulped, thinking. His friend was changed, darker than before. He didn't like the changes time had wrought on his friend. But… She did say she was planning to fix that, right? And besides, this was his best friend he was talking to, right?_

" _What do I need to do?"_

Chapter One:

Frisk sighed. Life on the surface wasn't easy. Her friends, monsters and humans alike, were with her, but… Something was missing. Someone was missing. She didn't know why, but… She felt like there was a hole in her very Soul.

Ever since finishing the True Pacifist run, she and her monster friends had been living up on the surface. Things seemed fine at first, even happy. But then, the dreams started.

Asriel was warning her about something, she could tell. However, his words were muffled, and Frisk had no idea what he was saying. To make things worse, Flowey was there, too. And he seemed nice, for once. He kept telling her how great it would be, to start all over again. To reset the world, and go through all of it again. Who knows? Maybe, if she reset, she would find a way to free Asriel from his eternal torment.

She was disturbed by these nightly visions. She wasn't sleeping anymore. Sans could tell something was up, and kept prodding her to tell him about it. But, why should she? She and… and Flowey were the only ones who understood, about time.

She started to experiment. Loading her saves after long stretches of time had passed. Just to see if she could do it. And she could, with no apparent strain on her Soul. Perhaps she could… reset? Just to try to save Asriel? She felt so guilty, after all… Trapping him in flower form, with no way out.

Frisk came to a decision. She had to reset the world. Just to see if she could save Asriel, just to see if she could keep him from eternal torment.

She was in her room, on the anniversary of landing in the Underground, when she did it. She closed her eyes, pulling on the magic, the pure Determination, within her. Her body started to glow, a golden, mystical aura. But, this wasn't the glow of her Soul. No, this was the magic coming to a head. As the magic reached its apex, she unleashed it upon time. Her Soul was sent a year back, to the time she fell down to the Underground.

But, something was off. As time resettled around her, Frisk felt something stir within her. A part of her Soul, the part that had been empty all this time, was suddenly filled with something. Another Soul, perhaps? However, when she looked within her, her Soul was whole, and there was no presence other than her own in there. She withdrew, internally shrugging. Perhaps this was what it was like, when you reset time.

She was back in the Ruins, back on the field of buttercups. She scrambled up, picking up a stick from the ground. Some internal part of her calculated the stick, swishing it in the air a few times. _This will serve me well, for the time being_.

She walked calmly into the next room, not surprised one whit when she saw Flowey. She drew closer, holding her stick to her side.

Flowey looked surprised for a moment, and recognition flashed across his face, before he composed himself. "Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!"

No playing around, this time. When he threw a few seeds at Frisk, she dodged them, waiting to see his reaction. He let her off easily, thinking she had just missed them by mistake. He gave her another shot of seeds. She dodged. He fumed, and threw bullets at her wildly. She dodged, giggling at this new game she made. Just how mad can she make Flowey?

He encircled her with seeds. She waited impatiently for Toriel to rescue her. And the rest was the same. Or, was it?

It started with the dummy. She just wanted to try something new, she told herself. She was curious what would happen. So, she whacked the dummy with the stick. Hard. It fell over with a little thud, and Toriel reprimanded her, saying that dummies were to be talked to, not hit.

The next victim was a ghost. Frisk wanted to see what would happen if she hit Napstablook, instead of talking to him. She swung her stick at him, and it passed right through. He seemed hurt, though. That made her wonder. Could ghosts be killed, in this world? She hit him again. And again. Somehow, it made her feel better, hitting the ghost. However, he got away before she could finish him.

The next one to be the focus of her violence was a Froggit. She had traded her stick for a toy knife, and her bandage was off, replaced by a faded ribbon in her hair. And Froggit didn't seem to care. Moreover, it _hurt_ , getting hit by flies.

So, she struck out with her knife, not believing she could kill with one hit. Froggit's dust settled on her, and she felt… stronger. She couldn't explain how or why, but she felt like she could withstand more hits, more bullets. She liked this feeling, and laughed with the euphoria it brought with it. She decided to try experimenting… Seeing if this feeling would happen every time she hurt another.

She killed five monsters before exiting the Ruins. Toriel never knew about any of them. Every kill made her stronger, made her more reckless. She felt older, more mature, when she bade farewell to Toriel at the end of her stay in the Ruins. She had killed, and it had made her stronger. She would definitely learn from this.

Flowey was in a cheerful mood when Frisk talked to him. He laughed at her naiveté, but was calculating, watchful. He had seen her change, seen her kill. He wasn't about to stand toe to toe with this girl. Not again.

Frisk asked if Flowey remembered her. He hesitated, but decided to tell the truth. Yes, he remembered her. He remembered all of her previous actions below ground. And he was happy that she took his advice to heart.

"What advice?" she asked.

"About resetting. Now, you can save me. Now, you may find a way. The future is not set in stone, Frisk. Remember that." He disappeared then, popping below her feet. Frisk contemplated his words for a full minute, before setting them aside, and continuing on her path.

Chapter Two:

Frisk walked through the snow, shielding her eyes from the white flakes. She hated how cold Snowdin got, especially in the early spring. Well, at least it wasn't winter when she fell down. But, then again, why would she climb a mountain in the winter?

She suddenly heard the branch snap. She gasped, shocking herself out of her thoughts. Then she realized that it was only Sans, following her. She sighed.

Footsteps behind her. Sans, why do you follow so closely? At last she reached the gate thing. She waited, hearing the footsteps near.

"Human." Sans's voice sent shivers down Frisk's spine. She turned, holding out her hand. He hesitated slightly before grabbing her hand. Then… Whoopee-cushion time.

Sans laughed. Frisk giggled, remembering the good times she and Sans had. She looked up into his eyes, shining whitely down at her. What a good friend he was. And, what a good, lazy, and funny brother he was to Papyrus.

"He he. The old whoopee-cushion-in-the-hand trick. Wait. Did you hear that one before? You turned around before I asked you…" Oops. Frisk turned her head, blushing. She shouldn't mess up like that. No need to allude to the fact that she could reset time. Not yet, anyway.

Sans shrugged. "Eh, doesn't matter. Hey, you're a human, right? Say, I'm actually on watch for humans right now. But… I don't actually care about capturing anyone." He turned his head, winking at Frisk. "Now, my brother, Papyrus… He's a human-hunting _fanatic_. Hey, I think that's him, over there." He pointed behind Frisk. She looked behind her to see the silhouette of Papyrus in the distance. She turned back to Sans, hoping her face looked terrified enough.

Apparently it was. "Hey, I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy. Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars to wide to stop anyone." He led Frisk through the gate, and on to the other side. There was that conveniently-shaped lamp again. "Quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp."

Frisk ducked behind the lamp and silently waited as Sans and Papyrus went through their dialogue. Once Papyrus was gone, she emerged and strode to Sans, intent on thanking him. His knowing eyes followed her every movement as she neared. He frowned. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Thanks, er…" She didn't want to allude to the fact that she already knew his name.

"Sans. Sans the skeleton."

"Thanks, Sans. I'm Frisk. Say, do you think your brother, uh, Papyrus? Do you think he'd really capture me, if I tried to talk to him? He seemed… Nice." Trying to move the story along, perhaps skip some conversation lines.

"Well… Now that you mention it… You see, my bro's never seen a human before. It would make his day if he saw you, I bet. And, don't worry. He's not dangerous. Even if he tries to be." Sans shrugged. "Thanks a million. I'll be up ahead." He turned, and quickly strode the opposite way.

Frisk giggled, shaking her head. _I really need to find out how he does that_ , she thought. _Because that's just way too cool_.

She turned and went on her way. Along the way, she met Snowdrake, whose jokes were starting to go sour. She cut him down, unthinking. Icecap also met Frisk, and became rather good friends with her.

She met Papyrus again soon. She tried her hardest not to laugh at the brothers as they spun around, quicker and quicker, until Papyrus got too dizzy. Frisk smiled at him as he tried to threaten her with capture. He seemed put off by that, and left. Frisk frowned, as she didn't mean to make him leave. She glanced at Sans, who seemed to be calculating her again.

"Didn't even bat an eye, huh? Well. I'm glad you seem to have taken a liking to my bro. Just don't get him in trouble, would you? He's… headstrong." Sans walked away with that unsettling statement hanging in the air.

Frisk watched him, feeling apprehensive. He was certainly different from last time. Why was that? Was Sans having a bad day? She resolved to cheer him up a bit before she moved on to Waterfall.

She moved through Papyrus's puzzles faster, after that. She tried to appease him, however she also tried to be honest. She left Gyftrot alone when she met him, and tried hard to memorize Papyrus's explanation on Mettaton's tile puzzle.

Strangely, the puzzle solution was the same as before. Huh. Frisk wondered about that. Shouldn't it be… um…. Random? She had the feeling that Mettaton might be messing with her.

Soon, she was forced to engage Papyrus in combat. Having seen this fight before, Frisk was better at it, dodging Papyrus's bones easily. She only got hit at the end, as she had forgotten about the not-so-regular attack that had taken the place of his special attack.

After the fight, she felt bad for Papyrus. She struck an almost Sans-like pose, and asked, "Hey, Papyrus? Do you want to be friends?" She noticed that he perked up immediately. She let him ramble on for a few minutes, which seemed mostly about being friends with her and hanging out later. She nodded when he asked her over for a "hang-out" later. After all, that's what friends are for, right? Being there and making everyone happy?

She skipped back to Sans and Papyrus's house. Papyrus was already waiting for her. She went on the hang-out with him, and it was mostly the same as it was the first time. She then decided to go on to Waterfall, and see what trouble Undyne was getting into. However, Fate would have Frisk walk a different path.

Chapter Three:

Frisk knew what to expect when she came out to Waterfall. As expected, Sans was waiting at his station, a small frown on his face. He glanced up as Frisk approached, and put on a wide grin, contrasting the hopelessness that Frisk had seen on his face a few moments before.

"Hey, kiddo. Yeah, I know what you're thinkin'. I work two jobs, yeah? But, I get twice as many governmentally required breaks, so it all works out. Say, I was about to take one of those breaks when you came along. Want to check out Grillby's?" His laid-back attitude slid right into place as he talked, and Frisk found herself smiling, without even meaning to.

"Yeah," she giggled. "I've heard some wacky things from the monsters around town. Is it true that a flaming monster runs the place?" She tried to keep curiosity in her voice.

Sans came around the counter. "Why don't we find out? Come on, I know a shortcut." He led Frisk the opposite way than what she might have expected, had she not talked to him before.

In a sudden blue flash, they were standing right inside of Grillby's. Frisk gasped, something within her resonating with whatever that blue flash was. She almost stumbled, but caught herself. She glanced over at Sans, who seemed equally shocked for a moment before hiding it under a blanket of lazy indifference. He shrugged.

"Fast shortcut, huh?" Frisk nodded silently, still not too sure on what was happening. That didn't happen last time….

Sans led Frisk over to the bar, where they sat. Frisk remembered the whoopee-cushion trick, and was careful not to trigger it when she sat down next to him. Looking over, she thought she saw something flash across his face, but wasn't sure.

"Hey, Grillby! Here's my friend… Say, what was your name again?" He turned to Frisk, who repeated her name. This was all new. What was going on? "Yeah, Frisk. Anyway, we'll have a double order of burg. That okay, kid?" Frisk nodded. That's what she ordered last time, anyhow.

Grillby left to go cook their burgers, and Sans turned to Frisk, a questioning look in his gaze. "So… My bro, Papyrus? What's your take on him?"

Frisk hesitated before answering. "He's… Nice. He's the kind of guy who I like to hang with, but would like to protect more than interact with, if you know what I mean." There, an honest answer for an honest skeleton.

Sans nodded. "He's pretty cool. You know, he really wants to join the Royal Guard. One time, he stood outside of Undyne's house. She's the Captain of the Royal Guard. She took one look at him, when he asked to be in the Royal Guard, and shut the door in his face. Then again, it was midnight, so I can't really blame her."

Frisk nodded. She remembered this part, although the rest of this meeting got a little hazy. "What did he do? Stick around her house until she relented?"

Sans nodded, calculating. "Yeah. She saw his dedication, and decided to recruit him. But… He's not exactly cut out for the job, if you know what I mean. He's lovable and all, but he wouldn't ever hurt anyone."

Just then, Grillby came back with the food. Frisk turned down Sans's offer of ketchup, and was surprised when he shrugged and drank it, instead. Her eyes widened, and her voice raised a couple octaves in shock as she finally learned something new and somewhat gross about Sans.

"You… _drink_ that stuff?! That's… Gross! Not to mention unhealthy!" Sans winked at her, shrugging it off.

"Eh, this? Nah, this is my usual from Grillby's." He finished off the last dregs of ketchup, and slammed the bottle down with a satisfied thunk. "Anyway, on to the meat of this meeting."

Frisk looked at her burger as Sans leaned closer. "Say, do you know of the talking flower?" Frisk looked up, stating the obvious before realizing who she was talking to.

"What, Flowey? Of course I do!"

Sans blinked in confusion. "Uh… Who?" Frisk realized her mistake, and quickly looked back down at her burger. Sans leaned forward. "Do you know something… No, why would you? You're just a human…" He leaned back, looking conflicted and confused.

Frisk chuckled nervously, beginning to slide off her stool. "Um… Well, it was a good time, but I think I should…" She slid off the seat and started for the door. She remembered something. "Oh, and Sans?" She turned, and he was looking back at her with a weird expression on his face. "Can you put my burger on your tab? I'm flat broke."

Sans shrugged. "I would, but I don't have the _guts_ to do it." He chuckled before nodding. "Sure kid. I'll be at my station if you need me."

Frisk walked out of Grillby's her mind turning around itself. _I need to be more careful. If he finds out…_ She sighed.

On through Waterfall she went. She didn't hurt that many monsters, just the Mad Dummy, who she beat up with his own attacks, just like last time. Oh, and she killed Aaron, who was too egotistical to really notice.

She faced Undyne at the mountainous entrance to the Hotlands, like last time. She tried to fight back this time, but ended up fleeing for her life, just like last time. After dumping the whole contents of the water dispenser on Undyne's head, Frisk decided to Save. She reached out with her time magic, and anchored herself next to the empty water dispenser. Afterwards, she bade the Riverwoman to take her to Waterfall, so she could visit Undyne.

This time, however, Undyne refused to even let Frisk enter her house. "I don't harbor murderers," She growled to Papyrus, before shutting the door in their faces.

Papyrus turned to Frisk confusedly. "I don't know what she means, Human. I may be brutal when it comes to cooking, but I have never once killed a monster! Human, what is wrong?" Frisk looked at the ground, feeling unsettled. She had killed monsters. Their deaths had made her stronger.

She felt something within her shrug. _So what?_ that part of her mind told her. _It's her loss, not ours. After all, we're the ones getting stronger, not her._ She had to agree with it, although some small part of her still felt bad about killing these monsters.

"Nothing, Papyrus. Just thinking that Undyne could have been a nice friend, if she would only let us in."

Papyrus gave Frisk an odd look. "I agree! This is unacceptable behavior! I'm going to stand out here until she agrees to let us in. You can wait with me, if you like!"

Frisk chuckled. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass. But call me if she changes her mind, alright?" She turned and strode away, her sights set on the Hotlands, and eventually the King's castle.

Chapter Four:

Frisk knew what to expect from Alphys as she entered the large lab in the middle of the Hotlands. She didn't even flinch when Mettaton showed up, and easily answered all the questions, not even really needing Alphys's help.

After that, she kept her phone on silent as she went through the Hotlands, relying on memory to help her get through the puzzles. She ended up killing Muffet, her spider friends, and Pyrope. The Double Davis got killed, too. She ignored Tsunderplane, and Vulkin got threatened by her as she passed.

Mettaton bored and frustrated Frisk the farther she went through his deadly games. She skipped the play entirely, not wanting to relive Mettaton's terrible performance all over again. By the time she came to his resort, she just wanted to defeat him and get it over with.

At Mettaton Resort, Frisk was surprised to see Sans waiting for her. She had forgotten the date they went on, and hadn't seen him since Waterfall. She expressed her surprise at seeing him here, so near the Core.

"Eh. I sometimes swing by to see what's hangin'. Say, you want to eat? I know a shortcut."

"Sure, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since… I can't really remember, actually." She followed Sans into an alleyway… And into a restaurant.

Frisk felt weird all of a sudden. Her Soul seemed to quiver as her vision went a weird blue color, unlike anything she had experienced before. She stumbled, falling to her knees with a gasp.

Frisk glanced at Sans with surprise as she struggled to her feet, her mind feeling heavy and woozy. Sans looked aback for a moment, before worry coated his face. "Hey, kiddo. You alright?" He helped her to a table, where Frisk sat down heavily. She shook her head, partially clearing it. _Huh, that didn't happen before…_

She blinked, before clearing her throat. "I'm… I'm fine, Sans. But, uh… didn't you want to talk about something?"

Sans looked at her worriedly for a moment, before deciding she was okay. He cleared his throat, and started his speech. "So. Your journey's almost over, huh?" Frisk nodded. She only needed to get to the castle, and everything would work itself out, right?

"You must really wanna go home. Hey, I know the feeling." He looked down. "Though… Maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you. After all, down here you got food, drink, friends…" He looked up at Frisk. "Is what you have to do really worth it?"

Frisk looked at the ground, silent. Sans took a deep breath. "Ah, forget it. I'm rootin' for ya, kid." He looked at the ground, gathering his thoughts. He glanced back at Frisk, who sat, somber.

"Hey. Let me tell you a story. So, I'm a sentry in Snowdin Forest, right?" Frisk nodded, not really certain where things were going. Strangely, she couldn't remember this conversation, even though she knew that it had happened already. "I sit out there and watch for humans. It's kind of boring. Fortunately, deep in the forest, there's this _huge_ locked door."

Frisk gasped. She remembered this, now. "Oh, I know the door you're talking about! The one that connects to the Ruins!"

Sans blinked. "You're familiar with a door?"

Frisk giggled. "Yeah. Hey, that door's perfect for knock-knock jokes, isn't it? I almost knocked a couple myself, but… I got interrupted before I could begin." _Sorry, Flowey, but I'm pointing at you._ "I bet, with your puns and all, you probably knocked a dent in the door with all the jokes you pulled on it."

Sans chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. Just about every day I would visit the door, knockin' them out. One day, though, I wasn't alone. I knocked on the door, and an old lady's voice asked who was there."

Frisk leaned back in her seat. "Wait. Are you saying that _Toriel_ was hearing your knock-knock jokes?! I can barely believe it."

Sans squinted at Frisk. "Toriel? You mean… Well. I guess I shouldn't keep you from your destiny, kid." He started to get up. "Just remember… I will only keep my promise so long as I have someone to protect by doing so." With that weird statement, He walked through the wall, blinking out of the resort with a blue flash that dazed Frisk… _again._

Frisk sat there, dazed and confused. What was going on? After a few moments, she got up, and started the journey through the Core.

After killing a couple Madjicks, and creeping by some sleeping Knight-Knights, Frisk got to the final showdown with Mettaton. She wasted no time, and made Mettaton turn around by telling him there was a mirror behind him. While the killer robot was distracted, Frisk flipped his switch, and prepared for a fight with the one and only Mettaton EX.

This fight was short and sweet. Knowing what she had to do, Frisk dodged Mettaton's attacks, while posing for the audience at the same time. Every attack she made with her new frying pan was dramatic and inflamed the passions of the audience. As soon as ratings hit over the threshold, Frisk stopped fighting, catching her breath as Mettaton ran out of batteries. After he was gone, Frisk continued on. She didn't really remember what came after the Mettaton fight.

Ah, well. There wasn't much time left until she would get to see Asgore again. _Hopefully Flowey will see reason this time_. She hoped so, because if he didn't… Frisk wasn't about to let him off the hook this time, not without a fight.

She entered an elevator. Frisk sighed, lost in thought as the elevator made its slow way upwards. What was she going to do? If she talked down Asgore, then Flowey would kill him and take the six souls, and she'd have to do all that fighting all over again. Unless… Perhaps she could warn Asgore this time?

The elevator opened to the grey New Home. Frisk sighed, knowing that she was going to have to go the long way around, to the throne room. The elevators weren't going to take her right there, after all.

At Asgore's house, Frisk stopped to look into the children's room. Strange, there was only one box this time. Perhaps because the locket had stayed with her this time? She opened the box. Inside was a worn dagger. She took it out, her hands shaking. She didn't want to keep it, but… Some small part of her looked it over.

 _Serviceable, I guess. A little worn, but still sharp. I'll take it, then. Might be useful_. She looked inside the box again. She pulled out a sheath, which fit snugly over the dagger. It was attached to a belt, which Frisk clipped around her waist. As she did so, she felt… Weird, like some part of her was growing in a sinister way.

She stood up, shaken. She had just realized something. There was a dark side to her, a side that wasn't entirely in her control. She walked out of the room, and down the corridor. On the wall at the far end was a mirror. And as Frisk studied her reflection, she saw a similar figure materialize next to her in the mirror.

Frisk gasped, and turned, expecting the other girl to be to her side. When nothing was there, she breathed out nervously. She turned back to the mirror, her spine shivering as she saw the paler girl in the mirror, leaning against the wall. The girl gave her a comforting smile.

"It's alright. I'm not really real at the moment, but that's okay. I'll be real soon enough, maybe. My name's Chara, by the way. I'm part of you."

Frisk paled in shock. "Chara? You mean… The one that Asriel mistook me for? You… You're the first human that came down here?" Her voice was hoarse in disbelief.

The pale girl nodded. "Yeah. I was dead, and died hundreds of years ago. But you brought me back… Sort of. Don't worry, I'll stay out of your way. You're almost at the end. Just a talk with that comedian and you've reached Dad." Her voice had a faint echo, and was soft and predatory. Frisk couldn't help but be mesmerized by her voice.

Chara started to fade. "But, for now, I'll let you get on with your journey. Don't worry, I'm never far if you need me. After all, I'm _part of you_." She faded out completely, disappearing from the reflection. Frisk was left alone, pale and confused.

"Okay, that was freaky," she told herself. Her voice echoed through the empty halls of the house. She made her way to the stairs, which were already unlocked for some reason. Weird, that.

She stepped down the stairs, and continued on her way. It wasn't that far. The way was quiet, devoid of all life. Frisk felt a shiver run down her spine.

 _No-one's here to tell you the story of me and Asriel because you already know it, sister._ Chara's voice echoed throughout Frisk's mind. She stopped short, looking around in surprise. Nobody was there except for her. So why was there the creepy voice in her head? And why did it sound so familiar?

Chara's laughter bounced through Frisk's mind. She shivered, as the childish giggles were unnerving. _Silly Frisk! I'm inside your head, a part of your very Soul! Of course you can hear me. Don't worry, I'll be a good girl and shut up for now. I just wanted you to know me, before we got to the end._

Frisk shivered before moving on. Having another intelligent entity inside your mind, without your express permission, was freaky. Frisk resolved to get rid of this creepy girl as soon as she could.

She took a breath as she saw the door leading to the judgment hall. _This is it_ , she told herself. _Just a chat with Sans, and I'll be meeting the King. Again. Wow, this feels very weird. I've met him, and yet he hasn't met me. Yeah, I think I'm ready now. Time to get this over with._ She took a deep breath, and stepped into the golden room of Judgment.

Chapter Five:

Frisk shivered as she walked into the room. It seemed slightly colder than last time. Also, Save Point. She reached out and Saved, so that, whatever happened, if she died, she could come back. Although she had the feeling that she wasn't going to die. Not here, at least. She was only going to talk with Sans, right?

She walked slowly through the long corridor, feeling incredibly nervous. What was Sans going to say? Was he going to give her that big, long speech again? Or was it going to be different? After all… Hadn't she killed people this time? She felt guilt as she thought of those she had killed, and their families.

 _Nonsense. Sure, their families will be upset, but they'll get over it. And, besides, you got stronger for their deaths, didn't you? Don't you remember that rush, that feeling of euphoria? That's what killing is all about. Killing makes you stronger, gives you a sense of purpose. So stop whining, and get on with it!_ Chara gave Frisk a miniature heart attack as she launched into her speech.

"…" Frisk couldn't help but reluctantly agree with Chara. After all, where she was from, killers got away with their crimes all the time. And life goes on, even after death takes away the lives of loved ones. Frisk knew a lot about that. She took a deep breath, determination in her forest green eyes.

She looked up to see Sans waiting for her. Frisk took a deep breath and stepped forward. Sans didn't move, staring through the window. "So. You've finally arrived. You're journey's almost at the end."

Frisk nodded. "Heya, Sans," she greeted. He took no notice. His face was grim.

"I guess I have to be honest with you, kid. After all, it's the least I can do." He turned to look at Frisk, his eyes dark with seriousness. "This is the Judgment Hall. In a few moments, your every action will be judged. If you pass the judgment, you can go through, and continue your journey to its end. However, if you don't pass, you will die."

Frisk gulped. "How… How do I pass?"

Sans grinned a hallow smile. "Your LV. If it's past a certain threshold, I will hold you responsible for your sins, and punishment will ensue. LV stands for LOVE. LOVE is an acronym, standing for Level of Violence. It's the capacity someone has for hurting others, and the amount of hurt they can take. You gain LOVE with EXP, or Execution Points. Basically, you gain LOVE with how many monsters you have killed."

Frisk lowered her head. She had a bad feeling about this. Chara scoffed at Sans. _He has no idea what he's talking about._ Frisk internally shushed Chara. She had a feeling that Sans knew more than he let on.

Sans hesitated, before taking a hand out of his blue hoodie. His left eye glowed blue, and Frisk felt a tugging in her chest as her Soul popped into existence, glowing a bright red. Sans seemed to be studying her Soul. After a moment, his eye stopped glowing, and everything returned to normal. Frisk let out a breath.

"Well. I honestly didn't expect this. An LV of seven. That means that you have killed people. Mostly out of self-defense, but partially on purpose. You probably didn't mean to kill your first victim. You probably just wanted them to stop hurting you. But you did kill them. And the feeling of strength… You liked it. You kept the kill count low, but you killed enough to get stronger." Sans's voice was low, almost like he was talking to himself.

He looked up, speaking louder. "You have passed, although I have to warn you. Whatever you do, it will stay with you the rest of your life. Don't do anything stupid, kid. You've been warned." With that, he stepped back, into the shadows, and a flash of blue announced his disappearance.

Chara was not impressed. _Well, that comedian thinks he knows everything, huh? Well, he doesn't even know I exist, so there! Besides, he's just a lazy skeleton who's way too overprotective of his brother, right, Frisk?_ Frisk shook her head.

"Shut it, Chara," she muttered to herself. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but he's definitely acting… different, from last time." She hung her head. "He… knows. About… what I've done. Everything. I don't know how, but… I think he knows more than he lets on."

Chara scoffed. _Pfft! It's not as if he can warp time itself, now can he? He's just trying to get under your skin. Now, come on. We have an appointment with Dad, and he won't like it if we're late._

Frisk started to walk. She came to the entrance of the throne room, and took a deep breath. She looked to the right, and saw a Save point. She clasped it like a drowning man would a life preserver. She then stepped into the room, hoping that things would still be the same as last time, at least for this.

It was, at least until the end. Frisk had beaten Asgore, and he had knelt. Frisk had decided to spare Asgore, knowing that if she did, Flowey would show up. Flowey had indeed shown up. Frisk decided to warn Asgore, this time, however. To try to keep him alive.

"Watch out!" Too late, Asgore turned to look behind him. The friendliness pellets, or bullets, really, hit him square in the chest. He disintegrated into dust, his glowing Soul trembling in front of her. Frisk watched in horror as, for the second time, Flowey destroyed Asgore's Soul.

Flowey stood, laughing. "He, he he! You truly _are_ an idiot after all, aren't you? Making the same mistake twice. And, this time, the souls won't get loose! This time, they won't betray me! Humans, Monsters, _everyone_ will bow before me, as I start my rein of supremacy!"

And then Flowey attacked, turning into Omega Flowey once again. Frisk dodged and feinted, weaved and ducked. She only got hit a couple of times. The souls were much more willing to help her this time, however. Perhaps because they knew her, and knew that she was good? The whole fight didn't last near as long.

In the end, Flowey was defeated. He stood, panting, waiting for Frisk's verdict. Frisk hesitated to spare him this time, however. Knowing how things went the last time, she trusted him to betray her trust if she let him go. Chara was all for killing him, scoffing at his pathetic attempt to kill them. _If I was trying to kill us, with the arsenal he had available to him, my tactics would be much better than his. He is, by far, inferior to us. And, anyway, he is in pain. Better to put him out of his misery than for him to suffer, right?_

"…" Frisk reluctantly agreed with Chara on this one. Her hand shook as she raised the knife. Flowey looked up in alarm, too late, as the dagger came down on his head. He was utterly destroyed, and their journey was finally over.

Frisk turned to the barrier. Without a Monster's Soul, she would never go through. And she knew from experience that only Boss Monsters' Souls linger after death. She sighed. Seems like she was stuck down here, forever. She decided to find a place to hide, while all the chaos boiled over.

For nine months, Frisk stayed on the move, not letting any monster see her. She was considered the murderer of the King, even if that was not how it happened. She became a fugitive, hunted by the Monsters. Chara helped her stay away, and when things got ugly, Chara would help her get out of the situation.

One day, Frisk's Time magic started acting up. She hadn't saved for weeks, and was alarmed by what was happening. And then, she felt the sensation that she had felt a year to the day ago: The sensation of Time resetting itself. She tried to stall her magic, but it was too late.

Chapter Six:

Fisk woke up on the bed of flowers that seemed more than familiar to her by now. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her head in confusion. She had not reset on purpose, this time. What had happened? She turned inwards. Chara seemed… Different, somehow. Stronger, perhaps? Chara noticed Frisk's interest.

 _It's none of your concern. Now, please, can we be going now?_ Frisk got up, a scowl on her face. She hesitated. What would Flowey say to her? After all, she _had_ killed him.

Flowey was not in his usual spot, when Frisk came to the next room. She stood there, dumbfounded, for a moment. He had always been there. Maybe he was upset that she had killed him? Was he still dead, somehow? She felt guilt weighing down on her. She had killed. There was no doubt about it. She was not an innocent little girl anymore.

Chara scoffed. _You killed some monsters. So what? They were going to kill you, if you had let them. It's a kill or be killed world out there, sister. You have to learn that, or you're never going to make it. Look at me; I tried befriending the monsters, and where did it get me? I'm dead, have been for centuries. My best friend is dead, and his parents are separated by a single argument. Innocence is death, ignorance is dishonor, and the only ones who get anywhere in life take action wherever they can_.

"…" Frisk hesitated still. She shook her head, disbelieving. A voice broke her reverie, however, before she could argue with Chara. Footsteps echoed throughout the chamber as Toriel hurried into the room.

"Are you alright, child? Have you fallen down? Don't be frightened. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins."

"… I'm Frisk." She let Toriel guide her through the Ruins yet again. It had been a long time since she had gone through there. A few months, maybe. Chara remembered this much more than Frisk, and helped her out in a few spots. However, Chara _did_ also kill quite a few monsters before they got to Toriel's home.

Frisk stayed in Toriel's place for a week. That was the longest she stayed there thus far, but she still felt… Unsettled. Her magic had gotten out of her control when the reset had happened, and she was still shaken by that fact.

Chara was the one who had persuaded Frisk to leave Toriel. _Don't you want to see your other friends, too? The dogs, the Gyftrot, that comedian… You won't ever get to see them, and make sure they're okay, until you gain enough Determination to step through those doors and into Snowdin._

"…" Frisk had to admit, she _was_ pretty worried about her friends. Sans especially. He had acted so weirdly that last time… Frisk wanted to make sure that he was alright.

So, of course, Frisk and Chara went through the whole Toriel battle. Chara smirked as Toriel sadly walked back to her house afterwards, while Frisk stood facing the doors, steeling herself before going through them. Chara chuckled softly as Frisk hesitated.

 _What, you afraid of a door, now? Just go through it already. Besides, the hard part's already over. What's more to be afraid of? A little scorn from a flower? Or, better yet, no flower waiting for you at all? Is that what you're really afraid of? Pfft! That's ridiculous! It's just a flower!_

Frisk walked through the doors hesitantly, not sure exactly of what was going to be on the other side. Sure enough, Flowey was nowhere to be seen. Frisk hesitated before going through the second pair of doors. She missed Flowey, although she hardly dared to admit it, even to herself.

 _What, you falling for that weed, now? You're too soft. Like I said before, it's kill or be killed. Move on, already. Besides, you're wasting daylight, or whatever they have down here. You don't want to be stuck in a snowstorm in the middle of the night, trust me._

"…" Frisk reluctantly agreed with Chara. There was nothing for her here, only dead memories of a probably dead flower. Head down in silence, Frisk stepped into Snowdin Forest.

Chara hummed a soft tune as Frisk made her way through the forest. _Here and there, the snow falls, gently through the woods. Here and there we walk along, briskly through the forest. Hands shake in the cold, like when life takes a hold. Grab a cup of cocoa; keep the frost from head to toe. Here and there, the snow falls, gently through the woods. Here and there we walk along, briskly through the forest._

Frisk stopped suddenly, her thoughts focused on Chara. _I didn't know you were such a good singer, Chara! Where'd you hear that song?_

Chara blushed as she shrugged. _I learnt it from Mom. Toriel, I mean. She would sing that as we walked through Snowdin. I picked it up, I guess. I forgot about it, actually. Until we came here, that is. But, anyway, that's enough fooling around. We're nearing the point where that comedian breaks that branch, aren't we?_

True to Chara's inward words, they were coming up on the branch. Frisk carefully walked over it, making sure not to crack the branch in any way. She then pushed on, hearing the branch break only a minute later. She tried not to smile, and failed. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she realized that her friend was probably just fine.

Chara inwardly yawned. _If you like him so much, why don't you kiss him and get it over with? I mean, he's the same height and everything…_

Frisk was appalled. Her face flushed as she inwardly turned on Chara. _It's not like that! Besides, who are you to talk? You've been dead for God knows how long, and you're only, what? Thirteen? I bet you haven't kissed many guys in your life, either! So, there!_

Chara chuckled darkly. Her voice was a soft purr in Frisk's ears, predatory. _Touchy, aren't we, sister? And, don't ever talk about me being dead again. I may be a shadow of who I once was, but that doesn't mean I'm powerless. Not by a long shot, sister._

Frisk's spine shivered as she continued her journey. She came to the "barrier" that Papyrus had erected and stopped, waiting for Sans to catch up. She heard snow crunching behind her. Chara started looking around. Suddenly, Chara stiffened. _Here he comes_ , she warned. _He does not look happy. Beware, I can sense that something is not right. Be careful, sister._ And with that, Chara cut off communications with Frisk. Frisk pretended to be studying the fence-like structure, while concentrating on the footsteps behind her, which were louder and nearer.

The footsteps stopped. A bone-chilling voice broke the silence. "Human."

Frisk turned, offering her arm to Sans. He hesitantly took it, and the whoopee-cushion thing went off. She forced out a low chuckle, even though Frisk didn't really find it all that funny anymore. After all, she had seen this joke, what? Three times now? It felt like she had experienced it more than that. She inwardly shrugged, as it didn't really matter.

The whole Sans experience was the same as last time. Frisk ended up in Snowdin Town, having killed Icecap and Snowdrake from Snowdin, and Whimsum, Modsmal, and Vegitoid from the Ruins. She had again tried to kill Napstablook, as well as the dummy from one of the first rooms in the Ruins. She stopped by the store for some Cinnabunnies, which were being sold for a very low price of 8G per Cinnabunny. She bought four.

She then went on to the next area, which was where she would be fighting Papyrus.

Chara had persuaded Frisk to actually fight the skeleton this time. _It's not like you have to kill him or anything. Just make him earn his so-called victory. You can do it; you've already gotten past him. Why not do it again, but with a little more fight in your soul?_

Frisk had to admit, it did sound like a good idea at the time. Although she didn't particularly like hurting monsters, this would just be a game, and wouldn't hurt him that much. So, it was going to be alright.

Chapter Seven:

Papyrus went through his little speech before the fight. Frisk let him get it all out patiently, her hands warm inside of the new gloves she had found. She had a theory that the gloves were once another Human's, but were lost when their Soul was taken. She didn't know if that theory was true, and she didn't particularly care. If they worked, she would keep them. If they didn't, she would throw them.

Suddenly, she felt a tugging sensation within her Soul. The battle had begun. Chara slid into the forefront of Frisk's mind, controlling Frisk's body for a short time. Frisk and Chara had only recently discovered that Chara could do that, and Chara at least was eager to try her moves out on a _real_ opponent. Frisk was less eager, nervous at the thought of putting up a fight against _Papyrus_ of all monsters.

Chara hopped over the small bones that grew from the ground, gaining confidence with each successful dodge. She lashed out, punching Papyrus in the stomach. Or, well, she would have, if skeletons had stomachs.

Papyrus doubled up, surprise and hurt in his eyes. Bones grew up out of the ground, blocking Chara from getting to Papyrus. Blue bones flew from the side. Remembering what had happened the last time, Chara stood perfectly still, and the bones passed right through her. She smiled, as the "blue mode", as Papyrus dubbed it, did absolutely nothing to her. As she was a shadow of a true Soul, the blue mode could not affect her. And, although it could affect Frisk, it did not, as Chara was in control over Frisk, at least for a few minutes.

The bones blocking Papyrus shot downwards as Papyrus glanced at Chara, to see what had happened. Chara surprised him when she sprang at him, hurling her fists into his skull. His head whipped back, somehow staying on his shoulders despite there being no flesh or muscle to keep it attached. He stumbled backwards, a dent in his skull.

"…You are strong, Human. Stronger than I expected. However! I, the Great Papyrus, shall not be defeated so easily!" Papyrus retreated back behind his bones as several bones came from two directions at once, some being blue and others being white.

Chara jumped and writhed, somehow managing to dodge all of those bones. Frisk inwardly watched in awe as her body performed some amazing feats. _I didn't know I could do that._

Chara smiled. _I know more than you think, sister. After all, I have been watching this world far longer than I'd care to admit. I've learned a thing or two from some of the monsters._ She chuckled as she walked calmly over to the bones Papyrus was hiding behind.

Once she neared the bones, she slowed. She hit them, her fists connecting with ferocious force. There was a terrible cracking sound, and suddenly Papyrus was revealed, the bones he had been hiding behind shattered by Chara. _Like I said before, I may be a shadow of my former self, but I still have power. Don't mess with me._

Papyrus stiffened as Chara stood before him, panting slightly. Sweat beaded on his head as he laughed nervously. "Nyeh he he. It seems you have defeated me, Human. I admit, I did not think you were strong enough. It seems the Great Papyrus underestimated your strength."

Chara's eyes flashed. **"Pathetic. I was looking for a real fight, yet you lasted only a few minutes. Normally I would grant you pity, but I am all out of pity at the moment, I'm afraid. See you in the next life, skeleton."** With that, she punched him under the jaw. His head popped off his shoulders, and rolled onto the ground. His body fell to dust, and Frisk's voice shouted in Chara's head. However, she didn't care. She was in power.

The skeleton's head was not dust yet, however. Chara remedied that by giving a strong kick to the skull. It fell apart, and she rejoiced, feeling stronger than ever. She let out a laugh, a twisted smile on her childish face.

Frisk was upset. She used her Determination to kick Chara out of control. She slipped back into her body, falling to her knees. Her forest green eyes reddened as they filled with tears. Sobs shook Frisk's body as she grieved for her friend. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the fallen Papyrus. "I'm so sorry."

In her head, she was screaming at Chara. _Why did you kill him? He just wanted to be friends! You said we didn't have to kill him! You said it would be fine!_

Chara scoffed at Frisk's display. **He was weak, that's why. I have told you time and time again. It is kill or be killed out there. Perhaps this will teach you. The weak are meant to be taken out by the strong. We have proven ourselves strong this day. Now dry your tears. He is gone. What's done is done, and there is no going back. It is time to move on.**

Frisk sniffled. _He was kind, passionate. Besides, he had Sans to help him. Oh, no! Sans! I've forgotten! He will be even more upset when he finds out. He'll kill me._ Frisk stood reluctantly. _I will never forget this, Chara. You've lost my trust, now._

Chara chuckled darkly. **Throw your tantrums all you want. I'll still be here. You're stuck with me for a while yet. Now, better get going, before that comedian returns and lays us out on the floor. Besides, dusk will come soon, and I'd like to be in Waterfall proper before then.**

Frisk started walking, her feet dragging through the snow. _You are a true monster, you know that? Just because I'm doing as you ask doesn't mean that I condone what you just did. I just want to go away and never come back, now._

Chara huffed. **You are truly stubborn, aren't you? Fine, be that way. See if I care. Oh, and you're almost to Waterfall, I see. If my memory serves me right, that comedian should be here….**

Frisk looked up to see that Chara was indeed correct, and they were in Waterfall's entrance. She looked around, but San's station was empty. The echo flower's friend wasn't there, although Monster Kid was. She plodded over to the armless reptile. "…Hi."

The teen smiled as Frisk approached. "Yo! You sneaking out to see her, too? Cool! Just, uh, don't tell my parents. They'd kill me if they knew I was sneaking out to see Undyne beat up bad guys."

Frisk glanced over at Sans's empty station. "… You know where that guy ran off to?" she asked, pointing at the station. The kid looked over at the sentry station, not really paying attention.

"Uh… No? I don't even know the dude, personally. Oh, I know about him, but… I never talked to him. He was too quiet for me. His bro, on the other hand…"

Frisk held up her hand, cutting the kid off. "Thanks." She frowned, lost in thought as she bade the Monster Kid good day. Where could Sans have run off to? He always was at the station. Maybe he saw the fight? No, that's impossible, or else he would have stopped her from killing his brother.

Chara scoffed at Frisk, her inward self crossing her arms in exasperation. **I did what I had to, to survive. Had I not killed him, he would have captured us or even killed us. It is survival of the fittest, even down here. That bonehead was not fit enough to survive, and so I ended his misery. Would you rather he suffered a slow, painful death, cursing you and everyone you love? No? Then quit whining, and move on already. Now, let's go.**

Frisk moved on, her head lowered. She gritted her teeth as she moved throughout Waterfall. She only killed Aaron, Shyren, and Temmie this time. Chara smiled as she watched Frisk tearfully stab the cat-like creature with terrible grammar. She hustled Frisk along, occasionally whispering words of encouragement in order to move her along her path.

Then Frisk got to the fight with Undyne. Undyne was furious at Frisk, and upset that her friend, Papyrus, was dead. She blamed Frisk for it. Frisk's lip trembled as she stood before the fish lady. She felt so guilty, and so afraid.

Chara leaned over Frisk's Soul. **Let me handle this one. This fish is really tough, much harder than that bonehead. Besides, you're not in your right mind right now. Let me take over for a bit. I promise you'll have your body back after the fight….**

Frisk gulped, before narrowing her eyes in Determination. She had to survive, and to survive, she had to let Chara take over, just this once. She internally nodded, her arms shaking as she stepped forward, signaling to Undyne that she was ready to fight.

Chara took over, as Frisk's Soul stepped back, intent to watch. Undyne launched herself at Chara, her war cry tearing through the air.

Chara side-stepped at the last second and Undyne hit the floor with a loud crash. The fish recovered quickly, and aggressively threw magical spears at Chara's face.

Chara ducked and dodged, before grabbing at the last spear while it passed by. She clenched the weapon, deciding to use it mainly as a shield for Undyne's attacks, but also partially for her own attacks. After all, this was the first magical weapon Chara had gotten her hands on. She wanted to see what it could _do_.

Undyne growled. "Stop dancing and _fight back_!" Chara was more than happy to comply, silently slashing out with the fish's spear. Undyne's eyes widened, as she hadn't noticed her weapon in the child's hand. Her armor shattered as Chara struck Undyne in the stomach. Undyne doubled up, stumbling back with a gasp.

"You… Grr... I'll _kill_ you for that, human!" she dove at Chara, a gleam of fury in her eye. Chara smiled at Undyne as she stepped back, forcing Undyne to fall short of her target.

However, Undyne was not to be defeated that easily. She flung her magic behind Chara without the human noticing. Spears jabbed from behind, and Chara let out a surprised yelp as one of them hit her, wounding her leg.

Chara narrowed her eyes at the fish warrior, seething rage in her expression. She lashed out, knocking aside more spears as she stumbled toward Undyne. Her leg was bleeding, but she paid it no heed as she threw herself into the fray with more energy than ever before.

Undyne's eye widened as Chara closed in, flailing Undyne's spear at her. "I got you, Human! No escaping me now!" She flung herself at the child, just as Chara raised her weapon upwards.

Undyne gasped as her spear thrust itself deep within her chest, burying itself within her. Her breath came in great sobs as she took in the damage. She had seen wounds like this before, in other monsters. She lowered her head, tears threatening to shed. She just _knew_ she was going to die.

And yet, something deep within her stirred, even as her body started to split into millions of dust particles. Deep within Undyne's Soul, something wouldn't, no, _couldn't_ give up. She refused to die, her Determination gaining strength as she held herself together.

She gritted her teeth. She may have been dealt a killing blow, but she wasn't about to let that stop her. She picked up a spear that had fallen next to her. She looked up. That darned human was standing over her, smirking at her victory. Undyne, fueled with desperate rage, launched herself back into the fray, her attacks sloppy and easy to dodge.

Chara's eyes widened as the fish came at her again, growling with wounded rage. Chara slipped to the side, avoiding the spear easily. She let out a shaky laugh. **"You're stronger than last time, fish. I'll give you that. However, so am I, and I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve."** With that, she lashed out with her stolen spear, stabbing into the fish.

Undyne refused to give up. She tried harder, even as she felt herself start to unravel. "I will not give up," she panted, as she summoned two spears to launch at Chara. The child twisted, ducking underneath the magical projectiles. "I will not."

Chara readied herself for the next attack, holding her spear in front of her. As the magical spears flew through the air towards her, she swung, batting the spears out of the air with her own. She noticed that the attacks seemed to be slowing. **Good,** she thought to herself. **I can't keep control forever. The shorter the battle, the better.**

Undyne continued her attack, tiring herself and her magic as she stretched herself to her limits. She started to gasp for air, her body wavering as she held on desperately for dear life, her attacks struggling to form. She decided to give one last effort, before her Determination ran out. Sweat beading on her dusty form, Undyne sent three spears floating slowly towards the human. The human knocked them out of the air like it was nothing, and swiped at Undyne.

Undyne smiled. She was out of Determination. Her body's dust began to melt together as she slowly died. "Alphys…" Undyne whispered her love's name as she faded away, becoming no more than a pile of dust.

Chara smiled to herself as she let Frisk take over. **Another job done, more strength for both of us.**

Frisk was in a terrible mood as she stepped back into her body. She cried out, tears pooling in her eyes. She hadn't known that Chara was going to kill Undyne, too! She burst into sobs, her muddy green eyes turning darker as she felt strength seep into her Soul. Undyne, the wonderful warrior who had taught her how to make spaghetti, the lovable fish lady who had done her duty, even to the end, was dead.

Frisk rounded on Chara within her mind. _Why did you kill her?! You could've… could've fled! Or spared her when she was hurt enough! Or… Or anything else! You didn't need to kill her, she was strong! So don't give me that whole "the strong take down the weak" spiel!_ She was a sobbing wreck.

Chara sighed. **I've told you, it's kill or be killed. And, yes, she was strong. Strong enough to handle a lethal blow and keep fighting. She wasn't going to spare me, and so I didn't spare her. She wouldn't have fled the battle, and neither would I. Dry your tears, as she would have killed us without a second thought, had our positions been reversed.**

Frisk sniffled. _But… She was only doing what Asgore had asked of her! I… I don't understand. Why… Why did you kill her?_ She felt emotionally drained all of a sudden. She just wanted to curl up, go to sleep, and hope that all of this was just a bad dream. However, she couldn't. She glanced at the dust of her one-time friend. "I'm sorry, Undyne," she whispered.

Frisk moved on, her tears drying on her face. It was past midnight, but she knew that she wouldn't get a good night's sleep for a while yet. She sighed. Ever onwards she pushed, Chara's words of encouragement helping her to put one foot in front of the other.

As she walked, Frisk thought about the first time she had fallen down into the Underground, before Chara became a part of her. She hadn't killed anyone, then. And yet, the second time, when Chara was helping her, some monsters died. And now, with Chara starting to gain control, even more monsters are dying. She didn't know what to think of it, but she had a bad feeling about Chara.

Chapter Eight

The Hotlands were dreadfully hot this time of year. During the winter and autumn months, it was almost bearable. During spring, most monsters left the Hotlands alone, however, because the lava pits rose up with the warmer weather, and became suffocating hot. One had to be careful during this time, as one small misstep, and you would end up in the lava.

Chara absolutely loathed the Hotlands. She was in a rather bad mood throughout Frisk's journey, and let Frisk handle the killer robot. She wasn't quite ready to stand toe to toe with the cruel foe of heatstroke, after all.

After that Undyne fiasco, Frisk was more than happy to let Chara stay quiet. She hummed through the Hotlands, not really bothered by the extreme heat. She had survived worse up on the Surface, after all.

Chara shook her mental head at Frisk. **How can you stand the heat? I'm baking.**

Frisk smiled, her eyes shining in the light of the lava. _Because I've survived it before. And because it's a whole lot better than what could be happening at the moment. Here's a little tip: No matter how bad things get, always say to yourself, "It can be worse." Because chances are, it can get much, much worse._

Chara scoffed. **Such optimism. One would think that would've melted away, after the experiences we have had. Are you truly that naïve, sister? Are you actually that stupid, to truly believe what you preach?**

Frisk frowned. _Don't call me stupid! And, besides, it's true. After all, I almost died trying to defeat Flowey, and yet I didn't. I saved the Underground once before, haven't I? So, yes, things can be a lot better, but they could also be a lot worse. Be glad that it's just heat, and not… more than that._

Chara hummed in thought, turning her attention back to the task at hand. Although she couldn't bear the heat, that didn't mean she was totally down for the count. Her job had become a task of staying vigilant. She was on the lookout, making sure that no-one approached Frisk by surprise, and keeping an eye out for anything amiss.

They came to Mettaton Resort early in the morning. Frisk paid for a day's lodging at the front desk, and went to her room. The bed was so soft and inviting, but she had work to do before she slept. Her Soul filled with Determination, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, willing Chara to show herself.

Chara's image leaned against the wall, yawning. **What do you want, sis? I'm tired.** Her red eyes stared at Frisk, confusion and weariness in her gaze.

Frisk took a deep breath. "Why do you kill?" Her words, all four of them, were quiet. And yet, they were filled with trembling power.

Chara's eyes widened in surprise. **I thought you knew that, already. After all, it's not like you can't read my mind.**

Frisk rolled her greenish-brown eyes, her arms shaking with emotion. "I _know_ the answer, I guess. I just… I want to hear it from you. Directly."

Chara sighed, looking away. **Tell me something. When you first came to the Underground, you didn't kill** _ **anyone**_ **. I can tell, as it colors almost every thought you have about… Your so-called 'friends.' I can tell you were happy, about the ending you got, you know? So, why did you reset, the first time?**

Frisk hesitated. "I… I was happy, yeah. At least, I think so. But… Something didn't feel… right. I don't know why, but I felt… Incomplete. You probably don't understand." She glanced down at the ground, studying her feet.

Chara laughed; a hollow, empty sound. **Oh, boy, you have** _ **no idea**_ **how well I understand. I was trapped, without a body, without a Soul, for hundreds of years. I had to watch as that… That** _ **weed**_ **learned how to reset, save, and load. I silently followed his downfall into insanity. And I hated every moment of it.** Her voice was bitter, the faint echo ringing with memories of a distant childhood.

Frisk swallowed. "I… I don't know where you came from, on the Surface, but… Weren't you happy? Down here? Wasn't it better than whatever you experienced up top?"

Chara stiffened. **I'm done talking. Now go to bed.** She faded from the reflection in the mirror, and Frisk was left alone, tired and confused. It wasn't until the next morning that she realized that Chara hadn't really given a direct answer to any of her questions.

Throughout the Hotlands, Frisk had only killed Muffet and Vulkin. But, as Frisk started her journey through the Core, things were different. She murdered every single Madjick she came across, and a few Knight-knights fell to her blade. She left the rest of the monsters alone, however, conserving her strength for the battle with Mettaton.

Chara was excited for this next challenge. She wanted to see if what she had learned from the Undyne fight would apply to this one. So when it came time for them to fight the killer robot, she was sadly surprised when Frisk refused to let Chara take over.

 _No. You'll… You'll kill him, if I let you. I see that, now. But… I'm not quite ready. Please, just this once, let me do this my way._

Chara scoffed, incredulous. **You really think that you can beat him, on your own? He's a killer robot, trained to fight weaklings such as you!**

Frisk smiled a broken smile. _I've fought him before. His weakness is his vanity. If I can turn him around, and flip his switch, then I have a chance. A dance battle will ensue. Don't worry, though. I'll fight back. I'll just use less force than you would, and I'm not aiming to kill him. Quite the opposite, in fact._ She thought back on the first time she had seen Mettaton EX. Ah, happy times.

This time, however, Frisk was determined to keep Chara from the fight as much as possible. She dodged and spun, posing theatrically. However, Chara was not to be underestimated.

She tried to take over Frisk's body by force. Frisk was totally unprepared for that, and wasn't able to prevent Chara from striking the metallic Mettaton EX. However, ratings increased astronomically the more damage Chara did. All too soon, the battle was won, ratings were higher than ever, Mettaton's batteries ran out, and Frisk took back control.

 _I can't believe you tried that!_ Frisk was furious with Chara, who didn't really care. _I… You could've killed him! I told you I would take care of it, and you… I don't even have words right now._

Chara yawned, unimpressed. **Yeah, yeah. Look, sis. We're in this together. Both of us want this journey to end. And, besides, I have no way of getting out of you, now. So just deal with it. The real world sucks, and life ain't fair. You gotta learn that someday, or else you'll die. Plain and simple, really.**

Frisk stormed into the elevator, shaking her head. _Just leave me alone, Chara. I just… I don't know what's happening anymore. I need some time to myself._

Chara let out a chuckle. **I'm inside your head, scatterbrain. It's not like I can go anywhere, can I? But I'll shut up for now, if that's what you want.**

 _Good._ Frisk turned her attention to the last bit of her journey. She just had to have a chat with Sans, defeat Asgore, and fight Flowey. That was really all that was left to do, at this point. She had gone past the point of no return. All that she could do right now was move forward. She was filled with Determination.

She moved quickly through New Home. Most monsters kept out of Frisk's way, and those who didn't tried to talk to her. But she didn't listen. She was too preoccupied with thoughts of the future that she hardly noticed the monsters that crossed her path. Many a monster had to dive out of her way as Frisk stormed through, almost running over her one-time friends in her hurry.

And then she was in the golden Judgment Hall. Frisk swallowed, suddenly uneasy. She hadn't seen Sans since… Snowdin. She shivered despite herself, her brown eyes glittering in the light as she looked around for her skeletal friend.

Suddenly, a quiet, hoarse voice broke the silence. "Human," a familiar voice greeted. From the shadows Sans stepped forward, his eyes downcast. Frisk inhaled sharply. Around Sans's neck was a hauntingly familiar red scarf. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears.

"Sans? Is… Is that you? God, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Her voice was high-pitched with raw emotion. Sans didn't look up. His body looked broken, defeated. Chara snorted at the pathetic shell that stood before them.

"So. You finally made it. Normally, I'd give you a big speech, but… I'm not feeling up to it. So, instead, I have a question for you." His voice shook. "I've watched your journey. You act as though you know what's about to happen before it even happens. I know this is an odd thing to ask, but… If you have some sort of _special power_ , isn't it your responsibility to do the right thing?" He glanced up, searching for something in Frisk's face.

Chara slid up to Frisk. **He knows something. I don't know what, but he knows. Say no. After all, you're a kid. He shouldn't expect a kid to have all this responsibility or power, right?**

Frisk hesitated. _You sure? What if… What if he's talking about… His brother?_

Chara sighed. **He's playing you. He's probably bluffing. Time to call out his bluff. He's upset, yes, but that doesn't mean anything. He has to move on now, as should you. Say no.**

This small debate spanned only a couple seconds. Frisk took a deep breath. "…No." Her voice shook as she made her decision.

Sans blinked, somehow unsurprised yet disappointed. "Heh. Well, that's your viewpoint. I won't judge you for it." He took a deep, steadying breath before speaking, his voice gaining a dark, predatory edge to it as his eyes went dark. **"You dirty brother killer."** And with that chilling statement still hanging in the air, he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

Frisk inhaled sharply in surprise. "…Well, I'm officially an evil murderer then," she muttered to herself. _What the heck just happened?_

Chara breathed in too. **That little comedian thinks he can call me names, eh? He'll get what's coming to him. Eventually.** She internally nudged Frisk. **Come on, there's nothing left for us here. Let's move on.**

With a heavy heart, Frisk reluctantly continued her journey.

Chapter Nine

Just before entering the Throne room, Frisk Saved via a Save Star. She had learned that she could Save two different ways. The first, and by far the easiest, was via the Save Stars that dotted the Underground. As far as Frisk knew, only she and Flowey could see the things. The second option was by harnessing her own powers, sort of like when she Reset, but differently. She used the second option sparingly, as it was way more difficult, and much more powerful.

Frisk stepped into the Throne Room, and saw the familiar and somewhat comforting figure of Asgore Dreemur. She took a step towards him, not realizing he hadn't seen her yet.

Asgore turned, the sound of footsteps alerting him to Frisk's presence. "Is someone there?" he called out. He stiffened when he caught sight of Frisk. "Oh, it's you." His face burned with regret as he realized what must come next. "I see. You… You must know what we must do, then, correct?"

Frisk nodded, silent. Her throat closed as she thought about her plan. She hoped it would work. She was starting to feel homesick, for perhaps the first time in a long while.

Asgore sighed. He turned, stepping away. "When you are ready… Step into the next room. I am… truly sorry, child." With that, he strode out of the room, presumably towards the Barrier.

Frisk took a deep breath, emotion clouding her mind for a moment. Was she really going to do this? After all, she had only had this plan for maybe a day, since she woke up in Mettaton Resort.

Chara nudged Frisk's Soul. **You agreed to this plan, when you didn't have to. Now, you just have to follow through. Or are you a weak coward who won't even follow through on her sister's plan, let alone anyone else's?**

Frisk sighed. She had long ago given up hope of trying to dissuade Chara from calling her "sister." _Alright, fine. I'll do it. But… You better be right about this, or you're in big trouble!_ She started walking, following Asgore hesitantly. _And I mean_ _ **big trouble**_ _._

Asgore was waiting at the barrier. "You know what we must do, human." The Souls rose up from the ground. "It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." With a regretful and forlorn expression, Asgore conjured his great red Trident, and the battle began.

Chara took over almost immediately. Frisk only offered token resistance. Chara smiled at her father. **"See you in the next life, Dad,"** she muttered. She dodged a wave of flames thrown at her, and started the battle.

She started by testing the waters, her knife flaring in the light of the Barrier. She swiped at Asgore, but her knife glanced off his armor, doing only a few points of damage at best.

Asgore gripped the Trident, and tried to spear Chara on the prongs. In a wild maneuver, Chara twisted, avoiding the Trident, and stabbed out with her knife in the same movement. Her knife found a weak spot in the armor, right above Asgore's knee. It plunged inside, and his knee gave way to the cold metal of Chara's dagger.

Asgore cried out in pain as he staggered, his leg bleeding. He sent complex patterns of fire dancing toward Chara as a counter-attack. Chara dropped to the ground and rolled, getting to her feet with only singed hair to show for Asgore's mighty attack.

Asgore glanced at his Trident. With a whoosh of flame, he coated the prongs in blue fire. He then hauled back and flung the weapon through the air like a spear.

Chara had a weird feeling about this attack, like she had seen it before. She stuck with her instincts, which had never guided her wrong, and held still. The air around her swirled with foreign magic as the Trident sailed right through her, without hurting her in the slightest. She silently cheered, a smile lighting her childish countenance.

The flames on the Trident flared bright orange, and it came zooming back towards Chara. Chara, trusting her gut, started walking forwards, towards the incoming projectile, never standing still for a second. Again, the Trident went right through the girl, not doing any damage. She let out a twisted chuckle.

The Trident landed back in the King's hand. His face set with a grim frown, he threw another wave of complex fires flying towards Chara. She ducked and twisted, avoiding the hot flames. She glanced at her dagger. **I wonder just how much damage you can do… Well, let's see, shall we?**

She launched herself at the goat monster, slashing with her knife. He fell back, a cut appearing on his jaw. He lashed out with his own Trident, and Chara danced back, bouncing slightly. She saw sweat beading on her father's forehead. He was starting to tire.

 **Now's my chance.** She struck out, aiming for his head. He ducked, thinking she was going to try to decapitate him. At the last moment, she slammed the knife downward, slicing through the lowered head. Asgore's face lit up with surprise as his body turned to dust.

A twisted smile grew on Chara's face as Asgore's Soul flickered into sight. She reached out, trying to absorb the Boss Monster's Soul. However, a familiar ring of seed-like bullets stopped her hand. She growled in frustration as Flowey destroyed her prize.

Flowey laughed a twisted chuckle. "Don't look so surprised, Frisk. You knew I was going to take him, anyway. Although, I'm quite impressed by the fighting skills you've learned."

Chara let Frisk take over, disgust in her thoughts. **You take care of this weed, before I rip it to shreds. Serves him right for taking my Soul.** Frisk, on her part, was flabbergasted. She had thought Flowey dead.

"Flowey? But... I killed you, right? And, you weren't at the start, and didn't follow me..."

Flowey chuckled. "You're an idiot. You really thought I stayed dead, after a Reset? I didn't show myself on purpose, stupid! I was more vulnerable at the start then I ever am here! And, I didn't follow you because I already knew where you were going. I stayed here, in the garden, waiting for you to show up." Suddenly, several glowing Souls rose out of the ground. The six human Souls were once again in Flowey's grasp. "And now, it's time for you and I to have our little dance." With that, Flowey absorbed the six Souls, becoming Omega Flowey.

Chara took over with a growl. **Let me take care of it, then. Don't worry, this weed won't last long**. And she was right. The Souls, familiar with Frisk by now, betrayed Flowey gladly. The fight lasted only a few minutes, before the Souls came out and wrecked the golden flower's day. After being defeated, Flowey whimpered at Chara's approaching form.

"You defeated me. That should be enough, right? Frisk? You wouldn't hurt an innocent flower, right? Show some mercy?"

Chara growled at the weed in her way. **"Why should I show mercy to a weed like you, when you wouldn't show me mercy, if our roles were reversed? And besides, you stole my prize."** With that, she slashed out with her dagger, and the psychopathic flower was no more.


	2. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey. I'm so glad this story has gotten at least ONE person to read it! Thanks to whomever decides to follow this story! Also, I guess I should put it out there... If you want, you can review this story, give some constructive criticism, or maybe a few ideas, or advice. I'm really new to this, so I'm sorry if this story sucks. Also, Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. Just had to put that out there. Anyways, on with the story...**

Chapter Ten

Months passed. Toriel became the new queen, and some new laws were passed. Each human to fall down would be watched, and their actions would determine if they lived or died. As for Frisk's fate… The new queen had no choice but to put a bounty on the child's head, the charges being murder and high treason.

Chara helped Frisk escape from the Capital after the fiasco with Flowey. They ran away from all civilization, trying to stay alive in the wilderness. Chara helped guide Frisk to a small onyx room, which she told Frisk only Asgore, Flowey, and Chara ever knew about. That way, no other monsters could find them, and they would be safe.

One day, Frisk felt odd. She turned to the mirror she had found and brought back to the onyx room. The onyx room had turned into a small house where Frisk and Chara lived. Frisk let Chara manifest herself in the mirror, wanting to have a chat.

 **Why so glum, sister? You should be happy. After all, it's been almost a year, and no monsters have found us. Thanks to my info, I might add.**

Frisk rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks again, Chara. But… I wanted to talk. I have this weird feeling. You can feel it, right? You're inside my head, so you know the feeling I'm talking about?"

 **What feeling, sis? Is it the irrational guilt you still have for killing that weed? I'll tell you again, sis. It's a kill or be killed world, and that flower had to die.**

Frisk shook her head, a frown on her face. "No… Not that. It's just… It feels like my time magic's building up within me. But I'm not doing anything. What's going on?"

Chara fell silent, averting her eyes. **Don't worry about it, sis. I'm sure it'll be gone in a few hours.** She spoke lightly, her voice getting darker.

Frisk shook her head, her brown hair waving about in her face. "I still think it's weird. I mean, I haven't even done any time magic stuff in ages. Ever since that fight with Asgore, actually." Her voice was thoughtful.

Chara sighed. **Let it go, Frisk. It's probably something small that you're blowing way out of proportion.**

Frisk narrowed her eyes at Chara. "Why are you so against my decisions? Don't you trust me? In fact, ever since the fight with Flowey, you haven't let me go for very long! Are you hiding something, or what?"

Chara's eyes blared as she turned on Frisk. **Don't you see? I've been protecting you all this time! If I had let you go off to the Queen, we'd both be dead by now! I've been keeping you safe, I found you shelter, and this is what you repay me with?** She sighed suddenly, turning away in weariness. **But it won't matter either way, will it? Not for long, anyway. So go, do whatever you like. I'll let you have free reign for as long as this world will let me.**

Frisk crossed her arms, her brown eyes narrowed in frustration. "What do you mean, it doesn't matter?! Trust matters a lot! Look, I know you don't trust me to be safe. But I managed it somehow without you. _And_ I befriended everyone in the Underground, including Flowey, sort of. So put some trust in me for once! Or do you know something that I don't know that's making you paranoid all of a sudden?"

Brown eyes glared at red as the two girls silently stared at one another for a few moments. Chara eventually looked away in disgust and weariness. **Fine. You know what? I was going to let you have a little more time here to get used to the idea, but you know what? I'm tired of you trying to put things right in your weak, irrational, merciful way. Time to do things _my way_.**

Chara's image faded from the reflection in the mirror. Frisk felt the magic within her rise up as Chara slid back inside her. She suddenly remembered this feeling. It felt familiar... Because it had happened a year ago! Her magic was reaching it's climax, about to Reset Time! Frisk's eyes widened. "Chara! Stop that! I don't want to go back!" she yelled. Chara just laughed at her.

 **Too bad, Frisk. Time to let me shine.** Frisk could see a golden glow around the room as her vision started to fade. _No_ , she thought. _I don't want to go back. Why is Chara doing this?_ Her vision darkened, and Frisk faded into the Void of Time.

Frisk woke up on the familiar bed of golden flowers. she tried to sit up, but her body refused to move. She tried to raise her hand. It didn't respond to her mental command. She started to panic. Was she paralyzed?

 **Calm down, sis. You're working yourself up about nothing.** Chara's voice sounded in Frisk's head. She sounded stronger, more _real_. Frisk's body sat up, without Frisk telling it to. That's when she realized. Chara had stolen control over her body! She frantically tried to take back control, but felt her soul being held back by some sort of force. **Don't try to stop me, sis. I'm stronger than you think.** Chara scolded Frisk, her voice echoing throughout Frisk's mind.

Chara stood up, testing her body. No scratches from the fall. Good. She glanced about. There wasn't much of use. She touched her locket that was around her neck. Ever since she had possessed Frisk, her locket had been there. Now it was finally where it should have been: Around _her_ neck, instead of Frisk's. Her other hand felt along her belt. Yes, the knife and its sheath were still there. Good, she was all set. She started walking toward the tunnel that would lead her to the Ruins.

She came across her former mother rather quickly. She let her guide Chara through the Ruins until Toriel left in search of butterscotch pie ingredients. She then continued on her own, her knife flashing in the purple light of the ancient Ruins. Every monster she encountered, from the pathetic Dummy to the weak Froggits, were slain. Futhermore, she tracked down each and every monster living in the Ruins and killed them, no matter what they were or if they were in her way or not.

Frisk watched this bloodbath in horror. She tried multiple times to stop Chara from killing a defenseless Whimsum, or a cute Loox. But she failed, as Chara was too strong. Chara slaughtered them all, starting her way to her ultimate goal: Genocide.

Frisk thought Chara would stop, however, when the way was blocked by her own mother. Chara wouldn't kill Toriel, would she? Chara set her face in a grim smile and slashed the Boss Monster's throat without hesitation. Frisk gasped, mentally putting her hands over her mouth. _Mom! Chara, why did you do such a thing?!_

Chara was unimpressed. **"She was in my way,"** she muttered to Frisk. Frisk's mental eye welled up with tears as Toriel turned to dust. She watched, horrified, as the Boss Monster's Soul shattered. Chara pressed on, stepping over the dust in silence as she sheathed her knife.

 **A/N: Wow. Goat Momma died. :( But it needed to happen, in Chara's eyes. Poor Frisk is scarred for life, tho. Dark chapter, am I right? I just about cried as I wrote this. And yes, Chara's going Genocide. She's gonna have a _bad time_ if she continues, but Frisk can't stop her.**

 **Also: Chara's LV is never going to erase itself after a Reset, so her LV is going to keep going up, no matter what. Right now I think it's already LV 14, maybe even higher. After all, there _was_ the two Neutral routes that they went through...**

 **Have a nice day (or night, whichever) and I hope you enjoyed this story so far (even though I suck at writing)**


	3. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter really isn't my best, but it gets the point across. Poor Frisk is going to be _so_ heartbroken and scarred with this run. And Chara's gonna have some fun. Sans isn't all that impressed, though. I'm actually thinking of doing a chapter or two in his POV, but I'm not sure. What do you guys think? Anyways, enjoy this dark chapter.**

Chapter Eleven

Chara silently trudged through the snow, her reddish-brown eyes sweeping the trees to either side in search of monsters. Frisk, still mortified by the deal Chara had made with Flowey, didn't realize what was going on until she heard the branch snap behind them. Frisk stiffened mentally, but Chara continued on silently, as if nothing had happened.

Frisk swallowed. _Chara, I really, really don't like what you're doing, but it seems I'm powerless to stop you. But still… Don't hurt Sans, please. He's our friend. He deserves to live._ She just wanted her friends to live, to continue to carry on with their happy lives.

Chara sighed. **Relax, sis. I'm not going to kill him… Yet. But if he gets in my way, I'm afraid I'll have to renounce that plan. Don't worry, though. I've got plans for the comedian. Saving the best for last, really.** She continued walking through the snowy forest, indifferent to the footsteps that followed behind her.

Chara soon came upon the barrier that the pathetic Papyrus had erected. She paused, letting the familiar skeleton catch up. Sans's voice rang out from behind the child, dark and wary. "Human," Sans greeted. Chara turned around, sticking her hand out to the skeleton.

Sans took the offered hand, and the annoying sound of a whoopee-cushion filled the forest. The skeleton stepped out of the shadows, a small grin on his face. "He, he he. The old whoopee-cushion-in-the-hands trick. It's _always_ funny." Sans's smile vanished as Chara silently glared at him, her eyes blaring in the snowy forest. "Uh… That's your cue to laugh… Or to, uh, emote at all?" He muttered something under his breath. Frisk concentrated, and heard him say, " _Geez, lady, you really know how to pick 'em, huh?_ "

Chara silently glared at the skeleton. **You may like this comedian, but I don't think he's funny. Actually, sis, he's sort of annoying.** She put a hand on her knife belt in warning. **He better not try to prank me like that again, or I swear….**

Sans glanced slyly at the hand holding the knife sheath. He blinked, his gaze hardening as he stared at Chara for a moment, before sinking back into his customary role of lazy sentry. "You're a human, right? I'm actually on the lookout for humans right now, but… I don't really feel like capturing anybody. Now, my bro, Papyrus, he's a human-hunting _fanatic_. Hey, I think that's him over there." He pointed behind Chara. She didn't even blink.

Sans swallowed at the look Chara gave him before continuing. "Go through this gate thingy. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone." Chara silently turned and walked over the bridge. Sans followed, pointing at a lamp that was conveniently nearby. "Quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp."

Chara stood still, however. **I won't be ordered around like a fool. Besides, I'm not afraid of that brother of his. After all, he's weak and naïve.** Sans seemed put off.

"Uh… I guess you don't have to if you don't want to?" He seemed slightly wary of Chara, as though he knew what she was capable of.

After meeting the lovable yet naïve Papyrus, Chara continued on her way, Saving at a Save star. She murdered several Ice Caps, slayed the Snowdrake and his brother, Chilldrake, and destroyed Jerry without a second thought. She left no monster alive to tell the tale, preferring to murder anything that moved. Frisk was scarred by all the killing, and started mumbling "I'm sorry" whenever Chara killed anyone.

Eventually they reached the town of Snowdin. Strangely, the place was deserted. Chara walked calmly into the store, which stood empty, abandoned. There was a note addressed to her on the counter. She read it over, scanning the page quickly. The note read: "Human, please don't hurt me or my family. Take whatever you want, just stop hurting people... please." Chara hummed thoughtfully. **I wonder what this place has to offer...**

Frisk was mortified. _You wouldn't steal! That's wrong... and totally unnecessary!_ To which Chara tapped the letter. **The storekeeper said I could take anything. And I will, provided there is anything of use here, anyways.** Frisk sighed in exasperation. _Why are you even doing any of this?!_ She didn't really expect an answer. And she didn't get any answer, either. Chara was too busy stealing gold from the cash register to reply.

Chara looked around the shop. There wasn't much here that may be of use. She took a pair of gloves, and a bandanna, with which she tied her hair back into a ponytail. Frisk scrunched her mental nose. She hated having a ponytail, as it always felt like it pulled her scalp back. Chara scoffed at Frisk. **Don't be such a baby. Besides, it helps us to see better during fights, and gets the hair out of the way when we need to do something important. It's either a ponytail or we cut it. Which is it going to be?** Frisk sighed in resignation. _Ponytail it is, then._

Chara quickly checked out the rest of the town. It was hauntingly empty, with one exception. A little Monster Kid who had way too much guts for a eleven or twelve year old. Chara turned away from him with a look of disgust. She turned toward the far end of town. She walked past the skeletons' house, not even sparing a glance at the garish lights strewn across the walls and roof. She didn't slow when the fog rolled in, pressing ever onward.

Frisk was apprehensive. _We're coming up on Papyrus... What, uh, are you planning to do, when you, uh, meet him?_ Chara shrugged. **The same as I did last time. Kill him.** Frisk's mental eyes widened. _But... He's our friend! There's no need to fight him!_ Chara sighed. **Sis, I'll explain it all later. For now, all I'll say is that there's a method to my madness. Trust me. Besides, it's kill or be killed, right?** She glanced up as a figure appeared out of the fog. **Well, it looks like I'm up to bat. Wanna bet I get a home run?** She chuckled to herself.

Papyrus's shadowy figure held up a hand. "Halt, Human," he ordered. Chara paid him no heed, striding forward a few steps. "Hey! Quit moving when I'm talking to you! There's some things I need to address. Firstly: You're a freaking weirdo! Not only do you not like puzzles, but the look in your eyes..." His voice faltered as Chara silently glared at him. He cleared his throat and pressed onward. "And the way your hands are always covered in dusty powder... It feels like your life is taking a dark turn. However! I, the Great Papyrus, will turn you right around!"

Chara took a step forward, a taunting smile on her face. Papyrus's voice cracked in nervousness. "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about! Quit moving! The Great Papyrus will teach you manners, and perhaps in time you will become almost as great as me!" Chara started walking forward, pulling her knife out as she did so. She chuckled darkly. Papyrus noticed Chara moving towards him, and made a big mistake. "I see you are approaching. It seems my lessons have taken hold already. I, the Great Papyrus, welcome you with open arms in a hug of acceptance!" He spread his arms wide.

Chara calmly walked up to Papyrus, her dark red eyes blazing, even in the thick fog. She plunged her dagger deep within the naive skeleton's ribs, before sweeping upwards, cutting the neck cleanly and popping his head right off his shoulders. His body fell to dust as his head landed on the snow. His eyes widened, and he looked weirdly disappointed in Chara. "W... Well! That was... Unexpected. But! I still beleive you can do better! Even... if you don't... think so." With that optimistic statement hanging in the air, Papyrus's head turned to dust, and the Great Papyrus was no more.

 **A/N: Poor Papy! Also, I think Chara's starting to get an attitude. I don't know. Anyways, I'll answer some reviews at the end of each chapter, starting with this one.**

 **Pokeme197: Thanks. I'm not really all that experienced at writing, but I have read a lot of books. That's where I got my writing style from, is the books I read.**

 **Guest: Chara wasn't always evil. She was pretty nice, before she died. Dying a couple times will change you, however, and she's become sort of insane and power-hungry. But a small part of the innocent child is still in her, buried deep inside her dark Soul. Also, she didn't have any sort of plan as far as dying goes. It'll all get explained at the end of the Genocide run, but things didn't go the way they went in the game. Not in this respect, at least.**

 **Anyways, have a great day (or night) and updates may or may not be irregular, depending on how the future goes. We'll see when the next chapter goes up. Thanks for reading, and goodbye for now.**


	4. Chapter 12

**A/N: This is one of the worst action sequences I've ever done. But it needed to happen. Also, disclaimer: I don't own Undertale, Toby Fox does. Enjoy this dark chapter.**

Chapter Twelve

The air was still as Chara strode into the damp confines of Waterfall. She came upon no creature until the room with Sans's station. The lazy skeleton wasn't there, and neither was the echo flower's companion. The stupid Monster Kid was there, though. She glared at him silently before moving on.

Just past the station room, there was a Save Star. Chara clasped it, using Frisk's magic to anchor herself to the world. She frowned in thought. Saving was much harder for Chara than it was for Frisk, for some reason. And she couldn't Save without a Star to act as a catalyst for the Time magic. **Huh, I'll have to look into that later.**

Chara continued her killing spree, taunting Undyne at every turn. Eventually, it seemed like a fight between the two would ensue. However, that darned Monster Kid had to jump out in front of the fish's spear, yelling about helping the fish lady to beat up bad guys. Undyne grabbed the kid and dragged him off.

Chara scoffed. **Gee, kid. Get in my way, why don't you? That's the most sure-fire way to get you killed.** Frisk drew back at the bitterness in Chara's mental voice. _What?! You're not thinking of hurting him, are you?!_ To which Chara shrugged as she made her way through a field of silent echo flowers. **Only if he gets in my way again. But he should know better, so don't worry.**

Frisk shook her head in exasperation. _But you don't need to kill anybody! You could befriend people instead. You know, not kill them? Be nice?_ Chara paused at a Save Star, grabbing it without thought.

 **That's the quickest way to death, sure. If you want to die, then I won't judge. But I'm not that stupid, and I'm still killing. Don't even try to stop me, sis. You don't know what I'm capable of, I assure you.** She continued onward, her red eyes reflecting off the water.

The next room composed of a long, skinny, purple bridge. Chara started across it cautiously. After all, the last bridge she'd been on, Undyne's spears had collapsed it and sent poor Chara tumbling to the garbage dump. She wasn't surprised when she was stopped halfway across the bridge, then, only a little exasperated. She turned, a glare already in her eyes. Monster Kid stepped up, his stance hesitant yet certain. Chara glared at the Kid as he approached. **This guy again? Why can't he leave well enough alone?** She grumbled inwardly.

Monster Kid neared. "Yo! Undyne, she told me to, uh, stay away from you. She said you hurt people. But, yo. That's not right, right? You're too cool to hurt people, right?" Chara looked away, silent. "Yo! Why won't you answer me? And what's with that expression?" Chara growled in frustration. **That's it. This kid's annoying, and he's in my way.** She took a warning step towards the Monster Kid. He gulped, backing away. He mumbled to himself, before looking up at Chara, scared but defiant. "Yo. If you're going to continue hurting people, you're... You're going to have to go through me, first." He gulped, but held his ground, narrowing his eyes in a brave yet foolish attempt to intimidate Chara.

Chara shook her head, drawing her knife. **This kid's in my way. He's gonna die.** Frisk's eyes widened, and she held up her mental arms. _Wait! Don't hurt him! He's just a kid! He's just doing what he thinks is right! Please, give him a chance!_ Chara shook her head again. **Tough luck, sis, but no.** She slashed out with her dagger, as Frisk's eyes widened in pure, unrestricted horror...

And the knife slashed through scales as the fish lady Undyne stepped forward, shielding the Monster Kid from the terrible blow Chara had dealt. Chara let out a growl of frustration and rage as her target ran away. She glanced at Undyne, who was starting to split apart into a million pieces of dust. However, in that moment, fish and human's eyes met, and the fish lady's eyes hardened in a familiar way. Her body stopped dusting, and hardened into a new, terrifying, heroic body. Undyne scoffed at Chara's expression of shock. "You're not getting rid of me THAT easily!" With that, Undyne the Undying started the fight, throwing bunches of magical spears at Chara from many directions.

Chara, shocked about the sudden change wrought in the already tough fish lady, was barely able to dodge the spears. She plucked the last one out of the air, her eyes narrowing in determination. She stepped forward, jabbing out with the spear. It glanced harmlessly off the Undying's armor. She mentally cursed. **This fish thinks she can take me on? Well, we'll see about that, won't we?** She batted a couple spears out of the air. However, Chara was unprepared for the spears that sprung behind her, and she got hit through the leg. She cried out in pain and anger as blood flowed out the wound.

She counter-attacked, jumping into the air and slamming the spear into Undyne's face. Undyne blocked the move with an armored arm, and Chara came crashing back down on the bridge. Taking advantage of the child's momentary daze, Undyne lept forward, a spear materializing in her hands. She stabbed downwards, piercing Chara's heart in a final blow.

Chara screamed as the world faded to black. **"No! I will _not_ be beaten by a _fish_!"** A Save Star appeared from the Void, and Chara grasped it, letting the Time magic pull her back to her last Save point. Frisk whimpered fearfully as her Save was Loaded. _I think Undyne killed us. So why aren't we, you know, dead?_ Chara growled in frustration as she started to storm across the bridge. **She did kill us. But your - _Our_ Determination allows us to Load the last Save. Thus, we cheat death with our Time magic. But don't worry- We'll deal with the fish and be on our way soon, trust me.** Frisk whimpered again, not quite trusting Chara's words. But she fell silent as Monster Kid sped up to them again.

They started the battle with Undyne the Undying again. This time, Chara was ready, and batted the spears in front of her out of the way, before turning and batting more spears away. She then turned to Undyne and slashed out with her stolen spear. Undyne's head got hit, but not enough damage was taken for her to be killed. However, she _did_ get super angry at Chara, launching glowing yellow spears at her with incredible speed. Chara bounced on her toes, ready to bat the spears away. But they flwe right over her head. Confused, she turned around, only to see them zooming straight at her, aiming for her chest. She hurriedly slashed them out of the air, before turning back to Undyne the Undying, whose her left eye burned like fire at her.

The battle raged for a long time. Occasionally Chara would slip up, and be thrown back into the Void of Death. But she never gave up, rage and determination fueling her onward. Unfortunately, Undyne the Undying was almost as Determined as Chara, and wouldn't lay down and die like the child hoped she would. Frisk secretly rooted for Undyne to win, because she was so tired of watching Chara kill her friends.

Eventually, Chara defeated Undyne. The fish started to melt, her Determination melting her into an Amalgamate. She gave a small death speech, explaining how Alphys had evacuated everyone to safety, and how, even though she had failed to protect those she loved, at least some would still survive the massacre that Chara wanted to unleash. "And maybe... Even with my... Failure, this world... Will live on!" Undyne died then, her last words defiant and triumphant, even though she had been defeated. Chara blinked at the pile of dust on the bridge. Her spear evaporated, and she turned away, a growl in her throat. **I'll have to hunt them down later, I guess. And the scientist will pay for trying to outsmart me. But for now, we should get a move on.** She strode away, silent.

Frisk was a sobbing mess. _She was just trying to save everyone! She was the true heroine! You... You shouldn't have killed her! What'll Alphys say when she sees her love dead? You shouldn't have done that! You should've surrendered or... Or run away!_ Chara just scoffed. **What, run away? That's weak, even for you. And besides, she wouldn't have let me run away, not after what I did. Neither would she let me surrender. Besides, she killed us a bunch of times. It's only fair she dies, too. So shut it and let me kill who I want to kill.**

 **A/N: Undyne the Undying put up one heck of a fight, but she still went down. Can anyone stop this rampaging monster? Also Frisk isn't very happy with Chara, but I figure she's even more traumatized now that she's died several times in a row. She hadn't died once before, but now... Chara's probably LV 20 by now, too. Sans is going to be _really_ surprised when he sees what she can do, huh? Anyways, have a great day (or night), and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey, guys! Here's another chapter for ya. The first little bit is Sans's POV, and the rest is Frisk/Chara. We've done the Ruins, Snowdin, and Waterfall. Now it's time for the Hotlands and the Core. Side note: I don't own Undertale, Toby Fox does.**

Chapter Thirteen

Sans watched as the human strode silently across the bridge into the Hotlands, his eyes dark. His mind was a swirling ball of hatred as he saw the smug look on her face as she slashed a Pyrope to dust.

He almost hit himself, he was so frustrated. _Why did I ever trust her?_ His thoughts were sharp as razors as his teeth gritted together. _After the first Reset, I shouldn't have trusted her._ But, he did. He didn't want to think that the little girl he had befriended would do something this terrible. And yet it came right back to bite him in the butt, like it always did.

He sighed, weary. After the last timeline, he had hoped that the human would at least have the decency to be… human, at least. But this… creature, it didn't seem to have any morality at _all_. He was actually starting to doubt that the girl he had met all those timelines ago wasn't just a disguise, a lie.

His eye glowed a slight blue as he remembered warning Papyrus to stay away from the human. "She's not like us," Sans had said. "She's dangerous, and she'll… do bad things, if you don't stay away from her."

But his brother hadn't believed him. "Nonsense, brother! The human is but a child! And, anyways, humans don't have magic, do they? So what could be dangerous about a human? Sure, she doesn't seem to like puzzles, but that doesn't mean she's bad! That just means she has different opinions than me or you!"

No matter what Sans had said or done, he couldn't change his bro's mind. And now Papyrus… he's… Sans felt tears pool in his eyesockets. _Gone. He's gone. That dirty brother killer_ _ **murdered**_ _my Papyrus._ His eye blazed cobalt blue, and it was all Sans could do to stop himself from storming out of his hiding place and beating the crap out of the human right then and there.

 _No._ He panted, his hands balling into trembling fists of bone. _Not yet. Wait until the Judgment Hall. She won't be expecting the battle I plan to have with her. She'll be vulnerable, thinking that the end nears. That'll be my time to strike._

Sans watched as the human entered Alphy's lab. He silently waited until she came out the other end. _At least she doesn't seem to be covered in more dust than when she came in. That means she didn't kill Alphys… right?_

He considered the human, trying to figure out the best way to defeat her when the time comes to fight. Her eyes were blood red, her hair a mousy brown. For some reason, she had tied it into a ponytail with a hauntingly familiar bandanna. Her sweater was blue, with two horizontal stripes running around the baggy shirt. Her pants were brown, with many pockets which could be used to hide weapons or potions or other such items. Her shoes were nondescript running shoes, perfect for fighting, running, walking around, or kicking.

Strangely, most of the mannerisms Sans had learned from the first timeline were gone, replaced with new, strangely familiar ones. She walked silently, her eyes roaming her sides. She always kept her hand on her knife sheath, ready to pull out her dagger at a moment's notice. Her stride was brisk and strong. She never spoke, seldom made any noise at all. She seemed battle-worn, mature way beyond her years and experiences.

Sans shivered to himself as he realized that this human was most likely the toughest opponent he would ever face. He fidgeted, summoning and un-summoning bones as he pleased. He almost wanted to get closer, he wanted to know what her LV was…. No, too risky. If she caught him following her, it would be too late, and he'd die. He didn't need that right now, thanks.

He shook his head. Something wasn't right, he sensed. After all, why would the human ever even _think_ to do something like this? Did she seriously want to have a bad time? Or was someone putting her up to it? But then again, if someone was putting her up to killing everything that moved, then why did it seem like she was enjoying this so much? He frowned, rubbing his skull. _I'm not up to this kind of crap right now. I just wanna take a nap._ But he couldn't. It was his job to watch the human, and after that last timeline, as well as what he'd seen so far in _this_ timeline, he couldn't just take a nap. He owed it to himself, and to Paps, to stay awake and vigilant. No matter how tired he was.

* * *

Frisk frowned as Chara took her time crossing the series of conveyor belts that led to the next room. _Is it just me, or are we being watched?_ Chara chuckled a little at that statement. **That's probably true, actually. After all, I wasn't the only ghost haunting the Underground. Just the only human one. You're probably just sensing one of the monster ghosts, sis. Now, who's gonna be my next victim, a love-struck plane or a washed-up volcano?** Chara's eyes roamed the Hotlands in search of the next monster to kill.

Frisk whimpered at the thought of ghosts haunting her and watching her every move, invisible. She wished she didn't have such a vivid imagination. Chara laughed at her fear. **Ha! I've seen much worse than ghosts, sis. If we run into one, don't worry. Besides, it's not monster ghosts you should be worried about.** Frisk blinked in confusion, her mental face thoughtful as she tried to figure out the hidden meaning behind Chara's words. Eventually she just shrugged, moving on to more pressing matters. They were coming up on Muffet's lair, and she had to suppress a mental shriek as a Froggit-sized spider silently crawled past them. Chara snickered at her reaction.

 _Hey! It's not funny! Spiders are really scary, you know!_ Frisk's internal voice was indignant. Chara just snickered harder. **Geez, sis, get a hold on your fears. Spiders aren't _that_ scary. Besides, just look at the expression on your face! Priceless!** Frisk fought a smile that threatened to appear on her mental face. _Oh, yeah? Then what're you scared of, then? Giant rats? Fire? No, you like killing people too much to be afraid of fire..._ Chara smiled thoughtfully, her smile a cruel grimace that sent several spiders crawling away in terror. **Well, now that you mention it, I'm not really afraid of anything tangible like rats or spiders. I've died too many times to be afraid of little things like that. No, what I'm afraid of, what kept me up at night when I was still... myself, is failure. Being weak. Attaching myself to anyone too much. And I was right to fear such things, unlike your irrational fears of spiders and clowns. What's with the clown fear anyways? Sure, they're annoying, but...**

Frisk ducked her head, embarrassed. _A, uh, childhood experience made me afraid._ She cleared her throat. _Speaking of fear, we're coming up on Muffet. You should be shaking. She's very strong, and her pet is... Scary. And **mean**._ Chara just smiled silently. **Challenge accepted, sis. Watch as I take this Muffet down with ease.**

And she did. The fight lasted only a few seconds, as Chara took one slash at the spider woman, and the eight-legged arachnid dusted, her teapots hitting the ground with a dull thud. Feeling no remorse, Chara strode on, Saving at a Save Star in the next room. Frisk shivered, not because of the cold. Chara had gotten stronger, she could feel it. She gulped, feeling her Determination waver slightly. _I won't be able to stop her if she keeps going like this. She's too strong. I need some other way..._ She sighed. _Not that that's ever going to work. She can read my thoughts anyways, so it's not like I can keep anything secret from her._

Suddenly, Frisk had a thought. _Wait. If she can hear my thoughts, even when I'm not talking to her... Can I hear her thoughts, too?_ Chara heard her, however. **Yeah... That's not gonna happen anytime soon. You need to be stronger than... what you are right now, in order to read my mind. Besides, I have an advantage: I'm dead. I can do whatever I want, within reason. You're still alive, and therefore have to keep with the laws of this world. Although, I still have to do that too... I just have the freedom to go through loopholes that you can't even see.**

Frisk pouted. _But... I just want to know why..._ Chara cut her off, unfeeling. **You know the reason why already. Stop asking. Now, we're coming up on MTT Resort. I want to stop here for the night, gain some strength for the fights ahead. No funny business while I'm asleep, alright? If you try _anything_ stupid, I'm gonna have to be... unpleasant, with the punishment. Trust me, you _don't_ want that. Understand?** Frisk, cowed by Chara's intimidating internal voice, nodded, wide-eyed. **Good. Glad we got that sorted out, then.**

After a good night's rest, Chara set out into the Core, slaying anything that moved (or even looked like it _could_ move). Soon they came upon the robotic Mettaton, who was (to no-one's surprise) waiting for them. Chara didn't even let the robot get a single word in, slashing out with her dagger. However, the metal on Mettaton's rectangular body reflected the damage. Chara's knife rebounded, and it was only with great concentration that she managed to _not_ get stabbed with her own knife. She growled at the robot, unimpressed with it's metallic shield.

Mettaton waggled a finger at Chara. "AH, AH, AH. I WOULDN'T BE TOO HASTY! YOU SEE, BEFORE I BECAME A STAR, MY ORIGINAL PURPOSE WAS AS A HUMAN-KILLING ROBOT. EVEN WHEN I WAS GIVEN A MORE... PHOTOGENIC BODY, THOSE ORIGINAL FUNCTIONS WERE NEVER COMPLETELY ERASED. I WOULDN'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IF I WAS YOU, OR ELSE I'LL BE FORCED TO SHOW YOU... MY TRUE FORM!"

Chara smiled a taunting smile. **Well, let's see what this robot's got in store for us, shall we?** She took a small step forward, teasing her opponent. Frisk whimpered, covering her mental eyes. It didn't help, and she could still see what was happening.

What was happening, it seemed, was Mettaton turning off all the lights, a small nuclear explosion went off in the distance (or, at least, that's what it sounded like), and the lights turned back on. The lights revealed that Mettaton had gotten a serious makeover that turned him from a boring metal box into a bad-ass super-star with a glowing eye and a cannon on his right arm. Frisk gulped, suddenly feeling very small. _I don't think we're ready for this!_ she whimpered. Chara just smiled, her twisted grimace catching the light in a terrifying way.

Chara slashed upwards with her knife, before pulling down quickly with said knife. The effect was incredible. Mettaton stiffened for a moment, a metallic gasp escaping his lips. And then an explosion threw Chara back ten feet, into a wall. When she scrambled to her feet, there wasn't much of the robot left. A few smoldering chunks of metal crumbled into dust as Chara watched, the last remains of a once-great robotic star gone forever.

Frisk's eyes were wide. _What the hell was that?!_ Chara shrugged, stepping over the piles of dust as she made her way to the elevator in the next room. **I'd say that was a quick fight. Geez, if I'd known how many of these guys were pushovers, I might have done this sooner. Eh, can't be helped, I guess. Let's move on, shall we? I have a few things I want to say to my dear, sweet father.**

 **A/N: Yeah... Not my best chapter, but it'll have to do. Sans is really pissed, and he thinks Frisk is the one doing all of this. After all, he has no idea about Chara. Not yet, anyways.**

 **Comycat1987: Thanks! I'm actually not all that great at writing, but I do try. As for the shortness of the chapters, it's because I'm not quite sure when to end a chapter, most of the time. I'm sorta letting this story write itself, to be honest. Also,** **Chara's gonna get more than a squirt bottle, next chapter! After all, Sans isn't in the mood to let her off with a warning, y'know? But, yeah, Chara's a BAD girl (although, she's a little more than a normal girl... AND she's dead... twice.)Also, if you want, you could PM me, with some advice, maybe? I don't know how PMs work, though, so...**

 **RaiKuze92: Thank you! Chara was gaining power throughout the story, which explains the slow progression. Genocide's sorta the climax of her power, just as Pacifist is the climax of Frisk's power.**

 **Anyways, as always, have a great day (or night), and I'll see ya in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but this chapter took a long time to write. You'll see why. Fortunately for you guys, it's the longest chapter yet, so at least there's that. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Fourteen

Chara stood in front of the doors leading to the Judgment Hall. Her wardrobe had changed, as she had gone to her father's home and rummaged through her old things. Now, she was wearing her old green sweater with the yellow stripe on it, and her black boots warmed her feet, instead of Frisk's plain running shoes. She had let her hair down, and her red eyes blazed as she scowled at the door, hands on her hips.

Frisk was arguing with Chara. _You didn't have to scare Flowey like that! He's been kind to us throughout this whole ordeal! Besides, he's our friend. You don't go around, making creepy faces at your friends all day, right?_ Chara scoffed. **And what if I did, way back when I was still alive? And that weed's not my friend. He's an ally at best, a rival at worst. And even if he's an ally, he's not useful enough for me to… keep him around. Face it, sis. He's just an annoying weed who knows way too much about our time magic.**

Frisk internally opened her mouth to protest, but shut it without saying a word. Her eyes deflated, and she gestured hopelessly for Chara to move on. Chara did so with a smug look on her pale face.

The door opened to reveal the golden-checked floor of the Judgment Hall. A floating Save Star was across from the door. Chara grasped it in her palm for a moment, her eyes roaming the long corridor in search of a certain comedian. She withdrew both her hand and her limited Time magic from the Star. **There he is.**

Sure enough, Sans was waiting for Chara roughly halfway across the room. Chara's eyes blazed fiery red as she strode confidently towards him, a hand on her knife sheath. She paused, five feet of golden tile between human and skeleton.

Sans raised his head, his eyesockets meeting Chara's eyes. His expression was unreadable as he took a deep breath. "Heya. You've been busy, huh?" His voice was low, thoughtful. "So. I've got a question for ya." He paused, his face becoming serious. "Do you think even the worst person can change? That everybody can be a good person, if they just try?"

Chara raised an eyebrow, silent. She took a small step forward, a small smile spreading across her features. **Ah, so that's how it's gonna go, huh? Yeah… I just want to get to the part where we whack each other to death, already.**

Sans gave a dry chuckle. "Alright. Well, here's a better question." He paused, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, the white glow was gone, and he stared at Chara with darkness in his eyesockets. **"Do you wanna have a bad time?"** His voice was deadly serious, and had gained a predatory edge to it. **"'Cause if you take another step forward, you're REALLY not going to like what happens next."**

Chara smiled wider, her red eyes blazing in the light coming through the Hall's giant windows. She took another step forward, teasing, taunting. **"Come at me, comedian. See how long you last against my blade."** Her voice was soft, predatory. Like a tiger's purr just before pouncing on a doomed rabbit or mouse.

Sans blinked, looking unsurprised. "Welp. Sorry, old lady. This is why I never make promises." He turned to the window as Chara slid her dagger out of its sheath. "It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like this, kids like you…" He turned to face Chara, and his eyes were pits of darkness, staring into Chara's soul like twin bottomless pits at midnight on a starless, moonless night. **"should be burning in Hell."**

And with that, the battle started. Whipping his hand out of his hoodie, Sans gestured, his left eye burning bright blue. Chara felt a sharp tugging sensation, and suddenly, her and Frisk's Souls popped into existence for all to see. The heart was red, like Frisk's, but had a lining of black around the edges, where Chara pulled the strings.

The Soul turned deep blue, and the next thing Chara knew, she was tossed into the air like a sack of potatoes. She crashed into the ceiling, and felt her hip break with a loud crack. She shrieked in surprised rage as she then dropped to the ground, landing hard on her leg. She groaned and looked up in time to see three sharpened bones flying towards her. She rolled over, pure instinct kicking in. Two of the bones sailed harmlessly past, but the third dug into her ribcage, and Chara's vision went black as she was thrown back into the Void.

Chara gasped, shock and pure, unbridled anger welling up inside her. **"That comedian… He just killed me. In less than a minute, that bonehead killed me. Oh, he's** _ **so**_ **going to** _ **die**_ **for that!"** Her voice echoed through the Void.

Frisk was flabbergasted. _Sans did_ _ **that**_ _?! He's that powerful?! Geez, he's really been hiding things from me, hasn't he? And here I thought he was just a funny lazybones!_

A golden Save Star appeared in front of them. Chara grasped it, Loading their most recent Save. With a golden flurry of magic, the pair stumbled back into the entrance of the Judgment Hall. Not sparing a glance at her surroundings, Chara stormed up the Hall, until she was face to face with Sans.

The bonehead was leaning against a pillar, looking bored. He glanced in Chara's direction. "Heya," he greeted. "You look frustrated about something." His eyes turned dark as he pushed away from the pillar, taking up a defensive stance in front of Chara. **"Guess I'm pretty good at my job, huh?"**

Chara scowled at him. In a flash of movement, she unsheathed her dagger and slashed up at the skeleton. He moved faster, ducking out of the way and backing up slightly, just out of range of the dagger. "What? You think I'm just gonna stand here and take it?" He scoffed at her furious expression. His eye burned to life as he took his hand out of his pocket.

Chara was ready this time, and pushed off the ceiling right before she slammed into it. She floated slowly downwards for a moment, before picking up speed. She launched herself off the ground with her legs as she crashed to the floor. Her body flew up a few feet before freezing in place. She looked up and met Sans's eyes. She smiled a vicious grimace at him. He glared at her before hurling her across the room, backwards. She watched, wide-eyed, as the pillars flew past her.

With a nasty crunch, she barreled into the wall. Chara cried out in pain as something– probably a rib– gave way inside her. Her back started to feel hot. She turned her head to the side, and stifled a shriek as her cheek brushed against the burning-hot wall.

Then, as suddenly as Sans's eye had turned blue, bones sprang from the wall, impaling her in many places. Chara screamed in pure agony as she was ripped from this world and tossed back into the Void carelessly.

She growled in frustration as she realized where she was. **That bonehead killed me again?! Geez, he's just trying to get on my nerves, ain't he? He's not going to be celebrating for long, though. I'm gonna make him** _ **pay**_ **.** She threw her arm into the Save Star, Loading her Save with ferocity that intimidated Frisk to stay silent, save a small whimper.

Chara didn't waste any time, marching to Sans with her knife at the ready. Sans was waiting, a smug look on his skull. "Hmm… That expression... That's the expression of someone who's died twice in a row." He winked at Chara, who glared at him silently. "Suffice to say, you look really… Unsatisfied. Alright." His eyes darkened. **"How 'bout we make it a third?"** And the fight started.

Chara wasted no time, slashing out with her knife. Sans danced back, a small smile on his face. "Our reports showed a massive anomaly in the time-space continuum. Timelines jumping left and right, stopping and starting." He threw a handful of bones at her from the right, and just as many from the left. Chara ducked, twisting to avoid the lower bones as the majority flew over her head.

She lunged, aiming to stab the skeleton in the skull. He stepped to the side, gracefully dodging her attack. His smile widened. "Until suddenly, everything ends." He spoke as though they were in the middle of lunch, instead of trying to destroy one another as viciously and effectively as possible.

Chara saw the bones popping out of the ground in front of her, and jumped. She dug her knife into a pillar, and hung there for a moment before pulling the dagger out and dropping. She landed gracefully, and stood up straight to see several blue bones racing towards her, interspersed with white ones. She quickly slid to the side and held still. All the white bones flew past her, and the blue ones went right through her as though she was just air.

Chara judged the distance between her and her opponent. **I'll have to jump it.** She paused for a moment, gathering her strength, and launched herself into the air, dagger held out in front of her. Sans saw her coming. A blue flash blinded her for a moment, and then she landed… On empty tile. She quickly stood up, looking around wildly. Sans calmly stood at the other side of the Hall, smirking. Chara mentally made a side note. **Looks like the comedian has teleport powers, too. Great, just great.**

Sans teleported closer, taunting her with a smile wide enough to park a car in. He chuckled darkly, his eyes going dark. **"That's your fault, isn't it?"** His eye sparked blue, and Chara found herself crashing into the ceiling again. She pushed off just in time, for a moment later, bones dangled down from the ceiling. Her brow slick with sweat, she floated down to the ground. She hurriedly jumped up, however, when her feet started feeling warm. A second later, bones pushed up from the ground as the bones on the ceiling faded back into the roof.

She landed on a safe patch of tile, and hurriedly looked around for Sans, her knife warm in her hands. She spotted him calmly watching from the sidelines, leaning against the wall. She rushed him, kicking below the belt as she neared him.

He pushed away from the wall and danced back, his movements almost too fast for Frisk to comprehend. Frisk watched in amazement as her skeletal friend frowned at the monster that had taken over her body. San's voice sounded rough as he continued to talk. "You can't understand how this feels. Knowing that one day, without any warning, it's all going to be reset." His face looked forlorn for a moment, weary. His eyes glowed white as past memories seemed to resurface in his mind.

Then reality came crashing back down on him as Chara took a flying swing at him, her knife glinting in the golden light. He teleported back a few feet, his eye bursting into blue flame as his right eye darkened. His hand gestured, and Chara found herself flying towards the ceiling faster than ever. She let out a frustrated shriek of pain as she crashed into the roof. Sans, his face grim, switched directions hurriedly, and sent the human hurtling back toward the ground.

Chara landed hard, and felt her arm snap in two beneath her. She cried out in pain, tears threatening to flow. Frisk mentally flinched from the pain, but could do nothing. Chara was in control, and Frisk could only sit back and watch the battle from within her own mind.

Sans whipped the hand back up, Chara flying up to the ceiling forcefully. He then whipped her back down, a scowl on his face. Chara felt ribs crack, and then her leg broke. Sans rose his arm, and Chara rose to the ceiling. Sans lowered his hand, and Chara flew into the tiles below. She landed on her head, and felt a burst of fire enter her brain, and then everything went black as she reentered the Void of Death.

Chara cursed, rage welling up inside her. **I can't let him beat me like this. I need to keep going, I need to get past him. He's strong, a good opponent. But I am stronger. I am** _ **dead**_ **, for God's sake! I shouldn't die like this, over and over again! I have to come up with a plan. I have to learn his moves.** She reached for the Save Star. **I will beat him. I will kill him. I will win this fight, even if it takes a hundred tries to get it right.**

Frisk felt uneasy as she watched Chara storm up to Sans. She didn't like seeing her friend kill her. She didn't like to watch Chara try to kill her skeletal friend. She wanted all this bloodshed to end. She wanted this awful timeline to Reset. But she wasn't in control, and ever since the first Reset, she couldn't Reset consciously. She wasn't in control of her life, of her magic, of her body. And she hated every moment of it.

Sans smiled as Chara approached. "Hmm. That expression. That's the expression of someone who's died thrice in a row. Hey, what comes after 'thrice,' anyway?" His eye dimmed, but his smile stayed. **"Wanna help me find out?"** He then threw a bunch of bones at Chara as he danced backwards a foot or two.

Chara twisted to avoid the first wave of bones, and jumped over the second. The third wave was a bit harder, as she had to duck, twist, and walk forward a bit, all at the same time. She barely managed to dodge the bones, but she did. She flashed a crazy, fey smile at Sans, her red eyes blazing in the light. She leaped at him, aiming just a little to the right of his ribcage. He teleported behind her, and she whirled around just in time to avoid a large bone the size of a housecat to the head.

Sans frowned at her, his expression sad and forlorn as he continued his speech. "Look. I gave up trying to go back a long time ago. And getting to the surface doesn't really appeal anymore, either." He shrugged, and bones started sprouting from both the ground and the ceiling.

Chara glanced at the bones above her as the line of bones on the floor advanced. There wasn't much room for jumping, but if she timed it just right, and made sure to use just the right amount of force, she might just make it. **Wait for it, wait for it… Now!** She leaped, flying low and forward. She cleared the bones on the floor, but only barely, and she landed wrong, stumbling and almost falling to the floor. She caught herself, though, and looked up to see the darkness of Sans's eyes. He was _right in front of her_ , and she stiffened, her hand clinching around her knife. Should she stab him while she had the chance?

Turns out that there wasn't much of a chance. Sans's eye blared bright blue, and Chara soared backwards, into the wall on the other side of the room, near the exit. She crashed against the wall, gasping as her spine snapped. She fell to the floor, and lay there, paralyzed. She heard footsteps approach, and tried to get up. Her body, Frisk's body, didn't respond. She rolled her eyes up, watching mutely as Sans calmly sauntered over to her, a smug smile on his face.

"Well, that was easy," he said, as he summoned a bone in his hand. In a quick, efficient motion, Sans slammed the bone down into Chara's back, piercing her heart. Chara's vision darkened, and she went hurtling back into the Void.

She just sighed this time, and wearily clutched the Save Star, Loading her Save. **This is going to take a while….**

Frisk hesitated, unsure of Chara's reaction to what she wanted to say. _What if… What if you never beat him? What if he just kills us, over and over and over again? What then? Will you finally give up?_ Chara stiffened, her expression unreadable.

 **That day will never come, sis.** Her voice was soft in Frisk's mind, but firm. **I will defeat him. Eventually. It just takes time, to learn some things. I need to learn his moves, his attacks, his dodges. I need to outlast him, wait until he tires, then strike. This is a game of waiting. Each fighter is watching their opponent. One will tire faster than the other. And the other one will take advantage of this fatigue, and beat their opponent when they're down. That is our situation. We just need to wait.**

Frisk sighed. _I just don't like watching this. I hate seeing you kill my friends. I hate seeing the look in Sans's eye, the disappointed look. I think he thinks that I'm in control. I don't think he knows about you. And he thinks I turned on him. I don't want that. If… If you're really my sister, if you really care about me… Stop this bloodshed. Reset time, and let me fix what you have done to my friends._ Her mental voice shook as she took her stand.

Chara didn't respond for a moment, and then she tilted her head back and let out a chilling laugh that echoed through the Judgment Hall. **Did you really think I would listen to your weak arguments? Ha! Think about it, sis. I'm in control. Why should I go back, if I even have that power, when I can go forward? I control our every move, our every breath. I won't let you undo all I have done, just to appease your morals. No, you will watch me, as I destroy your comedian. Not that you have a choice, but….** She started walking down the Hall, toward the watchful eyes of the skeletal comedian.

Chara paused a foot away from Sans. He stood, his eyes wary. "Hmm… That expression. That's the expression of someone who's died quice in a ? Frice?" His eyes dimmed, but his smile stayed where it was. **"Welp, won't have to use it again, anyways."** And then, of course, he threw bones at Chara, some white, and others light blue.

Chara slid to the right a few inches, and held still. The blue bones passed through her harmlessly, and the white ones passed her by without touching her. She then felt a tugging sensation as Sans's eye turned blue. She went sailing backwards, and kicked forwards as soon as her feet touched the wall. Good thing, too, as bones sprouted out of the wall right after she moved away.

Sans's eye dimmed, and Chara's feet touched the ground. Knife at her side, she ran as fast as she could at Sans, and slashed out, aiming to decapitate her opponent. He ducked, dancing backwards. He continued his speech. "Cause even if we do reach the surface, **we'll just end up back here, without any memory of it, right?"** His eyes were dark pits again. He made bones sprout from the ceiling, and threw bones at her from the sides and behind her.

Chara twisted away from the bones to her left, ducked the bones behind her, and crept forward to escape the bones to the right. A large bone appeared in front of her, the size of a small horse. She gulped, backing away. There wasn't enough room on either side of the bone for her to slip past, and the bone was too large for her to jump. She looked around, her eyes shining with a trace of fear. She saw a slight gap between the floor and the bottom of the bone. She swallowed hard. It would be a tight fit, but it was her only option. She stopped backing up, waiting. When the bone had almost reached her, she dropped to the ground and slid underneath, hopping to her feet as the bone passed overhead.

Sans looked reluctantly impressed at her skills. Chara smiled a creepy, smug grimace at him, swinging her knife around to chop at his arm. He slid to the side, narrowly avoiding her knife. "To be blunt, it makes it hard to give it my all…. Or is that just a poor excuse for being lazy? Hell if I know." He winked at her, his eyes glowing white with light humor in them. He then backed away, his eye turning blue as Chara's Soul (and Frisk's) turned dark blue.

He thrashed them around a bit, slamming Chara into the ceiling twice, the floor once, and the walls twice. She kicked off the surfaces she was thrown against hurriedly, for most of the time (not all, though) bones sprouted from the wall, floor, or ceiling right after her.

After being let go of the blue magic, Chara had to dodge a collection of bones from the right, a wall of bones from the left, and a mix of blue and white bones from behind, all while being taunted with Sans's skeletal smile. Chara barely survived that maneuver, and had a bone pierce her arm in quite a painful way. She inhaled sharply, and pulled it out, wielding it like a second weapon. It faded in her hand as Sans gave her a withering look. Frisk inwardly flinched away from that death stare, whimpering quietly. Chara didn't so much as blink.

Chara rushed Sans, delivering a roundhouse kick while stabbing downwards with her knife. Sans calmly teleported away, a weary frown on his face. "All I know is, seeing what comes next, I can't afford not to care anymore." His face looked sad, tired, and old. Frisk inhaled sharply at the wounded look on her friend's face. Chara just shook her head, ready for the next attack.

Sans threw bones at her, not quite as many as before. She jumped over most of them, and twisted to avoid the others. Two similar waves followed the first, coming from different angles. Chara ducked and weaved, avoiding all the bones almost effortlessly. **Is it just me, or is the comedian slowing down?** She slashed out with her knife as she neared the skeleton, and he backed up, holding up his hands for her to stop for a moment. They were both panting at this point.

Sans was sweating as he started talking. "Ugh… that being said… you, uh, really like swinging that thing around, huh?" His voice sounded heavy, and he panted slightly as he talked. His voice became earnest, genuine. "Listen. I know you didn't answer me before but… Somewhere in there. I can feel it. There's a glimmer of a good person inside you."

Frisk gasped. _Me! He's talking about me! He… Does he know, then?_ Chara shushed her mentally, her eyes turning uneasy. Sans continued on, knowing he had Chara's full attention.

"The memory of someone who once wanted to do the right thing. Someone who, in another time, might have even been… a friend?" He seemed to be talking directly to Frisk now, as though he knew what was going on inside the human's body. "C'mon, buddy. Do you remember me?"

Frisk was inwardly shaking with emotion. Chara was having trouble keeping control as Frisk listened to her friend speak to _her_ , instead of to Chara. It had been so long ago, but he still remembered. Tears flowed down her mental cheeks. He still cared, after all.

Sans forged on, his voice pleading. "Please, if you're listening… Let's forget all this, okay? Just lay down your weapon, and… well, my job will be a lot easier." His eyes stared into the human's red ones, pleading, earnest, weary.

Frisk felt her Determination come back, stronger than ever before. _He's my_ _ **friend**_ _. I'm not gonna watch him die. Not if I can help it._ She didn't listen to Chara's feeble pleas, and forced Chara out of the way, taking control once more.

Sans watched as the human's eyes blazed bright green for a moment, before going back to a warm brown. The human's limbs shook as her hand opened, dropping the knife on the ground. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she started to sob.

Frisk cried as she let go of the knife, Chara's distant cries going unheard. She looked up to see Sans's face soften. Her voice wavered as she spoke, the first words she had said out loud since this bloody massacre began. "Sans… You're my friend…. I would never hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you." She shuddered at the memories of all that had happened.

Sans let a small, soft smile grow on his face. "Does that mean you're… sparing me?" His voice was full of hopeful relief. Frisk nodded, unable to form any words. Sans melted in relief. "Finally. Buddy, pal. I know how hard it must be, to make that choice. To go back on everything you've worked up to. I want you to know, I won't let it go to waste." His voice was rough, genuine. "C'mere, pal."

Frisk hurled herself into Sans's arms, sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry," she whispered. He nodded.

"I'm sorry, too." He sounded remorseful. And then Frisk felt something stab her from behind. She gasped as her vision went red. She watched, paralyzed, as Sans unfolded himself from her limp form. She fell to the ground, dying. He knelt next to her as her vision faded. Her eyes closed, but she heard every word he said. "Get dunked on, dirty brother killer." His voice lowered, and his smile faded from his voice. "If we're really friends, you won't come back." His clothes rustled as he got up, his footsteps melting away as Frisk died, hurtling headfirst back into the Void.

Chara was _furious_ with Frisk. **What was that, Frisk?! A rebellion? Well, that won't happen again. This time, I'll make sure of it.** Frisk didn't care. She felt nothing, detached. Her friend, who she'd thought he had known, somehow, about Chara, had literally stabbed her in the back. She didn't care anymore. She didn't want to watch him die, but didn't have the strength to fight anymore. She had, simply put, lost her Determination.

Chara reached for the Save Star, her red eyes blazing with fury. She actually _shook_ with rage, as she stormed back to her opponent.

Sans was leaning against the wall, looking troubled. He looked up as Chara approached, and stood up, his expression unpleasant. "Hmm. That expression. That's the expression of someone who's died five times in a row. Convenient, huh? That's one for each finger." His voice had only half the normal amount of humor. His eyes dimmed, and a predatory tone made his voice lower. **"But soon… You won't have any fingers left to count with."** His threat was more genuine than normal, too. Chara just smiled, her eyes blazing with violent intent as she dodged a few bones thrown at her.

She slashed at him, and he danced back, taunting her. "What, think I'm gonna just stand here and take it?" He grabbed her Soul and tossed her around a few times. She was getting pretty good at kicking off as soon as she hit the ceiling, floor, or wall that she was thrown against. Chara laughed, an unnatural sound.

" **Of course not, comedian. That would be too easy, wouldn't it?"** Sans's eyes widened as he heard her voice for the first time. The childish menace behind the teasing statement made him actually back up a bit, eyes wide. She just smiled at him, her red eyes blazing in the golden light. She lunged forward, stabbing out with her dagger. He stepped to the side, looking slightly scared. He obviously didn't expect to be fighting a demon child, which was exactly what he saw in his opponent, now.

Sans quickly got his act together. "You're the time anomaly, aren't you? Timelines jumping left and right, stopping and starting. That's **you.** " His eyes darkened. **"You dirty brother killer."** He grabbed her Soul and thrashed her about, from ceiling to floor and back, for a solid three minutes, before tiring and letting her go. She stumbled a little as she landed, but caught herself.

She grinned at the skeleton, a twisted grimace corrupting her pale face. **"Some of that was me, I admit. But not all. I am not the only time anomaly in this world. I am not the only one with such power. But don't worry. You won't live long enough to look into my claims. I'll make sure of** _ **that**_ **."** She jumped high into the air, twisting as she fell. She landed right next to Sans, and plunged her dagger into him. But he was fast. He danced away, and the only damage Chara ended up doing was a small tear in his hoodie. He frowned at the rip in the cloth, before shrugging.

"You don't know how it feels, demon. To be the only one who remembers. To be the only one to know that one day, without any warning, it's all going to be reset. But you don't really care, do you? It's all the same to you, one way or another." His voice was barely controlled, and a rough undercurrent of fury lowered his voice.

He threw many bones at her, some big and others small. They came from all directions, and seemed endless. Chara dodged them all, whirling, ducking, weaving, twisting, jumping, and dancing, going faster and faster until Frisk thought that they would break something when they came to a stop.

Eventually the tide of bones slackened, then ceased, and Chara was left, breathing a little heavier than normal. She taunted Sans, her knife glinting in the golden light. **"You have no idea what I have gone through, comedian. You have no idea what I care or don't care about. But let it suffice to say that I know** _ **exactly**_ **how you feel, and I am not sorry for any pain these Resets have caused you. After all, I have gone through all that you have experienced, and then some."** Her feet made no sound as she moved across the tile, dancing closer to her opponent. **"Not that you'll live long enough to experience anything more, but that's not the point."** She slashed downward, trying to split the skeleton in half. He teleported a short distance away, looking disgruntled.

"Hmph. If you're trying to get to the surface, there's really no point. I gave up trying to go back a long time ago. And getting to the surface doesn't appeal to me anymore, either. After all, even if us monsters reach the surface, it's all going to reset anyhow, and we'll all be stuck down here again, without any memory of it. So there's really no point to any of this. If you're fighting to get back to the surface, don't bother." His tone was bitter, and cold, like the winter breeze in Snowdin.

He threw more bones at her, some blue and some white. She decided to dodge them all, and got a stony glare for her trouble. Chara smiled back, her red eyes challenging Sans to come at her, to fight her in a melee one-on-one battle. She chuckled darkly. **"Oh, I'm not looking to get to the Surface. No, that would be a tragic waste of resources. But I'm not about to let your kind get up there, either. That just wouldn't be fun. After all, if you go up, where would I get my challenge? Who would fight me then? Here, I get a nice challenge. Although, you're one of the only monsters who actually give me a** _ **true**_ **fight. You and that fish lady are the most powerful ones down here, and the only ones with even the slimmest chance of killing me even once."** Her tone was haughty, confident. She tossed her fine brown hair to the side. She danced forward, dodging a few bones. She neared Sans but didn't strike, getting right up in his face. He didn't flinch, meeting her unblinking eyes. She purred in his ear. **"You're never going to win, you know that? I'm just playing, toying with you. When I get bored, you'll die."** She stabbed him in the gut, her expression neutral.

He hurriedly teleported behind her, about a yard away. He looked disgruntled and wary. "I'm not even giving it my all, to be blunt. Knowing that you'll just reset every time I beat you, it's hard to care enough to try with more than half my power. But, seeing what you'll do if you somehow get past me, I see now that I should have cared. I should have fought harder, since the beginning. I do care, now. I will use more force, if you make me." He stared at Chara, serious for once. "I just hope that I am wrong about you, somehow."

He sent more bones toward her, but there were a lot less bones than before, and they were slower. **He's gonna try it again.** Chara realized that Sans was about to talk to Frisk. **But I won't let you gain control, this time.** She tightened her hold on Frisk's Soul. Frisk didn't struggle. She was out of fight, now. She had seen her friend betray her, and she didn't care if Chara wanted to fight him, now. She had lost her Determination.

"Listen. Friendship. It's great, right? Just lay down your weapon, and let's forget all this." He sounded tired, and a bead of sweat glistened on his skull.

Chara scowled at him, her eyes blazing with fury. She lashed out with her dagger, and he slid backwards, out of harm's reach. "Woah. You look _really_ pissed off." He chuckled darkly, his eyes darkening. **"Did I get ya?"** His eyes glowed white as a remorseful frown slid onto his face. "Well, if you came back anyway, I guess that means we never really _were_ friends, huh?" He sighed, an old and disappointed look coming into his eyes. "Don't tell that to the other Sans-es, ok?" He then turned away, as a wall of bones blocked the way to him.

Multitudes of bones came flying towards Chara from behind. She dodged them, sweat beading on her brow. The bones kept coming, getting faster and faster, their patterns getting more complex with each wave. Eventually, the bones stopped. Chara paused for a moment, catching her breath. She turned back to Sans, but instead of the small skeleton, there was a large, hostile dragon skull floating in front of Chara.

Chara took a step back, shocked. The dragon skull opened its mouth, a ball of white energy forming in the gap between its jaws. **Uh-oh, that doesn't look good.** She leapt to the side, just as a beam of white energy burst from the dragon skull's mouth, a white laser that burned the very air. She took a deep breath, having just escaped certain death. **Well, that's new. I'll add that to the growing list of weapons this comedian has at his disposal. Giant, energy-breathing dragon skulls. Just great.** Chara's mental voice was bitter and sarcastic as she watched the dragon skull fade from view. **At least he doesn't seem to be able to keep them summoned for a long period of time, unlike his bones.**

She rushed Sans, who had his back turned. He turned just as she neared, and hurriedly backed up as she swung her knife at him. His eyes widened as she came inches from decapitating him. He gulped, fear in his eyes. He calmed down, and started talking.

"Sounds strange, but before all this, I was secretly hoping we could be friends. I always thought the anomaly was doing this because they were unhappy. And when they got what they wanted, they would stop all this. And maybe all they needed was, I dunno. Some good food, some bad laughs, some nice friends." He summoned two dragon skulls, and Chara had to jump and twist in order to avoid their energy lasers. He then grabbed Chara's Soul and thrashed her about. Chara kicked off the surfaces that she was thrown against like a pro.

She chuckled darkly. **"What? Did you think I was lonely? Ha! I've never been alone. Even before this… fellow human fell down here, I was not alone. Perhaps in a different plane of existence, yes, but I had others like me to keep me company. And I could watch you idiots fall for that weed's tricks. Entertainment for me, torment for you."** She lunged at Sans, twisting as she neared. She almost got him, but he teleported behind her… again. She whirled to see a thoughtful expression on the comedian's face.

He continued his speech as though she hadn't spoken, although Chara could see that he was thinking over what he had said. "But that's ridiculous, right?" His eyes darkened. **"Yeah, you're the type of person who won't EVER be happy. You'll keep consuming timelines over and over, until…"** He lightened up slightly. "Well, take it from me, kid. Someday, ya gotta learn when to QUIT. And that day's today."

He summoned a bunch of bones, and three dragon skulls. Chara had a difficult time dodging the skulls, and one got her in a direct blast. One moment, she was twisting away from a group of bones, the next, she was blasted to smithereens. She was hustled back into the Void, a quiet rage smoldering inside her.

… _Maybe he's right._ Frisk sighed. Her anger and hurt with Sans was starting to melt as she listened to him. _After all, there's not much left here. We can Reset, and make everything right. You just have to try._ Chara scoffed at her. **Yeah, right. Look, sis. I'm in control. We're gonna beat this skeleton if it takes a hundred tries. He's getting weaker, I can feel it. He can't keep up this amount of energy for long. Eventually he's going to tire, and that's when I'll strike. Until then, you can just sit and watch, and stay silent.** She grabbed the Save Star, and sent them hurtling back to her most recent Save.

She marched back to Sans, her knife glinting in the golden light of the Judgment Hall. He sneered at her as she neared. "Hmm. That expression. That's the expression of someone who's died six times in a row. That's the number of fingers on a mutant hand." His eyes darkened. **"But soon, you won't have hands to count with."** He threw bones at her, blue and white.

The bones were easy enough to dodge. He then grabbed Chara's Soul, thrashing her around. She kicked off the walls and ceiling easily, and soon she was let go. She leapt into the air, coming down hard on him. He teleported to the side just as she reached him, and she landed hard, rolling to her feet. Sans frowned at her as he continued his speech.

"Cause, y'see, all this fighting is really tiring me out. And if you keep pushing me... Then I'll be forced to use my **special attack**." He had sweat dribbling down his skull, and his eyes looked weary. Chara smiled at him, her eyes blazing as she dodged a single dragon skull.

" **You may be tired, but I'm not. I'm just getting started, comedian."** She ducked to avoid a few bones that flew overhead. She lunged at Sans, her knife glinting in the light. He danced to the side, his eyes fearful. He gulped as he continued to talk, his voice wavering.

"Yeah. My **special attack**. Sound familiar? Well, get ready, 'cause soon I'm going to **use it**. So, if you don't want to see it, now would be a good time to die." He panted slightly as he grabbed Chara's Soul, thrashing her around a bit. His movements were slower than before. After a few tosses, Sans let Chara's Soul go, and tossed a dozen or so bones at her. She side-stepped most of them, and ducked the one or two that she couldn't side-step. Her eyes glinted in the light, blazing a fiery red.

 **He's tiring fast. Soon I'll be able to strike him down.** She sliced her knife through the air, aiming for his skull. He ducked, backing away. He swallowed, panting. "Well, here goes nothing." His eye blazed blue, brighter than ever before. **"Survive THIS, and I'll show you my** _ **special attack**_ **."** He grabbed Chara's Soul, threw her against the wall, hurled her up to the ceiling, tossed her to the floor, then bounced her between floor and ceiling for a solid five minutes. He let go of Chara's Soul, and she stumbled. He summoned hundreds of bones, throwing them at her in complicated and dangerous patterns.

Chara whirled and ducked, danced and twisted, dodging endless waves of bones. Frisk gaped, open mouthed, at the skill Chara showed in her dodging. She didn't get hit once, even though hundreds upon hundreds of bones rained down on her.

After the bones ceased, Sans panted, not quite done. He summoned fifty dragon skulls, which fired one right after another, all aimed at Chara. Chara's eyes widened, but she silently continued her deadly dance, dodging the beams of energy being fired at her from fifty dragon skulls. She leapt and twisted, weaved and whirled, ducked and danced, contorting every which way in an effort to survive an unsurvivable onslaught. And she did survive, by some miracle of skill and patience.

Frisk and Sans both gaped at her, impressed beyond imagination at her skills. Sans quickly schooled his expression, however, when Chara turned to glare at him, her red eyes blazing with cold fury. **"Finished, comedian?"** She asked lightly. Sans swallowed, fear in his eyes, as well as a lot of weariness and exhaustion.

"Alright. That's it. It's time for my **special attack**. Here goes nothing." He stood there, silently, panting. Chara felt paralyzed. No matter what she did, she couldn't move. She watched her opponent, her eyes burning with silent fury.

After a little bit, Sans looked up, meeting Chara's gaze. "Yep. That's right. It's literally nothing." He winked at her. "And it's not going to be anything, either." He chuckled. "Get it?"

He sobered up, and stared at Chara, serious. "Look. I know I can't beat you. One of your turns, one of your attacks, you're just going to kill me." His eyes were full of old wisdom as he stared at Chara, looking at her as an equal, instead of as an enemy. "So, uh. I've decided It's not going to BE your turn. Ever. You won't be able to attack, or even move, so long as I have my turn. And I'll just keep having my turn, until you give up." His eyes darkened, and his voice lowered. **"Even if that means we have to stand here until the end of time."** He glared at Chara. "Capiche?"

And he just stood there. Chara stood, paralyzed, as he watched her, breathing heavily. He had sweat running down his skull, making it shiny. He watched her, his eyes weary and fatigued.

Eventually he broke the heavy silence. "You'll get bored here. If you haven't gotten bored, already, I mean." His eyes darkened. **"And then you'll finally quit."** He continued to stand there, panting. Chara glared silently at him, her red eyes blazing in the golden light of the Judgment Hall.

After a little more time, Sans spoke again. His eyes were dark, and his voice was rough. **"I know your type."** His eyes glowed white as he tried to find the words. "You're, uh, very determined, aren't you? You'll never give up, even if there's, uh, absolutely NO benefit to persevering whatsoever. If I can make that clear. No matter what, you'll just keep going." His voice sounded defeated, sad, even. "Not out of any desire for good or evil, but just because you think you can. And because you 'can', you 'have to.'" He sounded tired, defeated, and forlorn. But he also sounded sorry for Chara, which just pissed her off much more than if he was taunting her.

 **I don't need his pity. And I don't need him trying to justify why I did the things that I did. Especially since he's wrong. He just needs to shut up and let me kill him, before I decide to Load a save and kill him outright.** Her mental voice was trembling with cold fury. She glared at him, her eyes glowing slightly with anger.

After another period of silence, Sans spoke again. "But now, you've reached the end. There is nothing left for you now. So, uh, in my personal opinion… The most 'determined' thing you can do here? Is to, uh, completely give up. And…" He yawned, his mouth opening wide enough for Chara to stick her whole head in there, if she had been so inclined. "Do literally anything else."

He went back to silence, but Chara could see that he was fighting his growing exhaustion. She could tell that he was trying very hard not to fall asleep. She watched, silent, as his eyes started to close….

And then he was asleep, standing up, snoring softly. Chara was free to move again, the paralyzing spell somehow gone. She silently clutched her knife, creeping forward. Her footsteps made no sound as she crept up to her sleeping opponent. Frisk inhaled sharply as Chara raised her dagger, intending to strike. _No, don't!_ Too late. Chara swiped her knife downwards….

And cut through thin air. Sans had woken, and slipped to the side just in time to avoid becoming dust. "Ha. Did ya really think you would be able to—" Chara, burning with rage, sliced out again. And cut bone, sweeping a long, diagonal cut across San's chest. She pulled back, ready for anything, her knife red with blood.

Sans stiffened, blood gushing from his wound. He collapsed, falling to the ground. He put his hand to the wound, and looked down. Blood was gushing everywhere. He looked up, his expression one of infinite sadness and wounded pride.

"So…" His voice shook, but he kept himself together, wanting to talk to his killer before he died. "Guess… that's it, huh?... Just… Don't say I didn't warn you." He stood up, his legs trembling. His eyes glowed with dying humor. "Welp. I'm going to Grillby's." He stumbled past Chara, who let him go. She turned back, and heard him whisper, "Papyrus… Do you want anything?" He stopped walking, and there was a small pause. He silently crumbled to dust, and Chara's eyes blazed blood red as she felt strength enter her Soul.

 **A/N: Wow, the FEELS! Poor Sans died! Frisk's just been scarred for life. Especially since she was SO CLOSE to Resetting and fixing everything! Next chapter, Chara's gonna have a lot of explaining to do. And Frisk is going to have some choices to make. Don't worry, this story's just getting started. Have a great day (or night) and I hope you enjoyed this action-heavy chapter.**


	7. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey, guys! This chapter explains a whole lot about Chara, so hopefully it'll answer some of your questions about her. Frisk's starting to learn just how evil Chara can be. Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. I hope you guys enjoy, and let's get on with the story!**

Chapter Fifteen

Frisk's eyes widened as she watched her friend collapse into nothing more than a small pile of dust. Her first reaction was denial. _No, he's not dead. He_ _ **can't**_ _be dead! He's strong, he can survive. Please, Sans, don't be dead!_ Then, of course, reality stepped in. Frisk went from denial to grief, her sadness welling up inside her. _Sans! No, no, no! He's my friend! I didn't want him to die! He was just protecting everyone! He was protecting people from being killed! He's a hero, he didn't need to be killed!_

Her grief spilled into her Soul, giving it power, giving her Determination. Desperate, she flung herself at Chara's Soul, pulling into control. Her eyes flashed, from bright blood-red to a brilliant emerald green, then settled into a warm brown. She stumbled forward, until she came to Sans's remains. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed, sobs ripping out of her chest. She ran her hands through the dust of her friend, her eyes pooling with tears.

After a time, her grief lessened, hardening into anger and rage. Rage that growled at her friends' murderer, anger that wished to rip Chara from her body, strangling her and tossing her into the heavens. Frisk turned her attention inward, her thoughts sharpened stakes that were focused right towards her inner demon.

 _You. You've called me sister. You've said that you're protecting me. You pretended to guide me through the Underground. But you… You demon_ _ **murdered**_ _my friend! He was only doing what he thought was right! He was protecting the king, protecting his friends! And he warned you, didn't he? In Snowdin. He told you that you were going to have a bad time if you killed his brother. You ignored his advice, and killed poor Papyrus anyways! He was getting his revenge on you, for killing his brother! And… and you_ _ **killed him.**_ _You killed Sans. These people who've tried to stand up to you… They're not the monsters in the Underground—You are._

Chara just yawned, unimpressed. **Look, sis. I'll explain everything… in time. For now, I'll let you grieve for a few more moments, as you're obviously… disturbed, by what has happened here. But you only get five minutes. Then we're moving on. Understand, sis?** She folded her arms and waited.

Frisk hesitated for a moment. She desperately wanted to tear Chara's limbs off for what she had done, but… Sans was more important than revenge, for now. She looked around, unsure of what to do. She wanted to give him proper respects, at least. But there was no way for her to do so, and she didn't have the time, anyways. She glanced back at the dust of a once great friend of hers, and felt tears pooling in her eyes once more.

"I'm sorry, Sans. I'm so, so sorry. I'll make sure that your sacrifice will never be forgotten, and I'll make sure your killer gets no reward for her murder. Of this, I solemnly swear." Her words were low, and somber. Her voice was hoarse, and trembled with emotion. Cold and empty, Frisk stood, turning away from her friend's dust. "Goodbye, friend."

With those last words hanging in the air, Frisk wearily let Chara take control. Frisk sagged against her mental prison, spent both emotionally and spiritually. She knew that she wouldn't have the strength to take control like that for a long time after this, but for the moment, she didn't care. Her friends were all gone, either destroyed or evacuated. _I hope Alphys hid them in a place where Chara never finds them,_ she thought.

Chara marched onwards, pausing at a Save Star. She took a deep breath at the entrance to the Throne Room. **It's show time, sis.** She pushed open the doors, and strode inside, not once sparing a glance back.

The room beyond was well lit, artificial sunlight filtering through the great windows. A large, purple-cloaked figure had his back to Chara as she closed the door quietly behind her. He turned around at the soft thud that sounded as the door clicked shut behind the child's back. His eyes were thoughtful, and his bright white fur shone in the golden light.

"Curious. I've never seen a plant cry before…." He noticed Chara standing silently by the door. "Oh. You must be the one that flower just warned me about. Howdy!"

"…" Chara glared silently at her father. **So, that flower ratted me out, did he? Pathetic weakling. Good thing that weed won't be standing for much longer, eh, sis?** Frisk's eyes widened at that thought, but she stayed silent. She wasn't sure what Chara knew about Flowey, and she didn't want to tell the demon anything that might benefit her. Not after what she just did.

Asgore looked confused. "Erm… What kind of monster are you? Sorry, I cannot tell. Well, we can always—"

Chara unsheathed her knife, which still had San's dried blood upon the blade. She stepped forward, violent intent in her blood-red eyes. Asgore stepped back, fear and shock in his large, kind eyes.

"H-Hey, now! There's no need to fight. Why not settle this over a nice cup of tea?" Chara silently glared at her father as she struck him down, a cold, detached expression on her pale visage.

Asgore collapsed, shock and agony plain on his face. He didn't have time to speak, however, as white seed-pellets encircled him, piercing him thousands of times at once. A second, smaller ring was summoned as the king's Soul popped into existence. Asgore's body dissipated into harmless specks of dust as the ring of seeds pierced his Soul, killing him instantly and irrevocably.

Flowey sprouted out of the ground, looking nervous and hopeful. "See? I never betrayed you! It was all a trick, see? I was waiting to kill him for you! After all, it's me, your best friend! I'm helpful, I can be useful to you. I promise not to get in your way." His voice shook as Chara silently glared at him, death in her eyes. "I can help… I can… I can… Please don't kill me."

"… **You stole my kill, weed. You're in my way, weed. Sorry, no mercy to you."** With swift, efficient swings, Chara made short work of the cowering flower, chopping and hacking at the remains until there was nothing left. She felt a storm of euphoria as she felt herself become stronger. **"Finally. I think I may have the power, now. Let's see if this works…."** She faded from Frisk's mind, leaving a confused and shaking Frisk in control.

Frisk looked up, shocked, to see a haunting figure in front of her. It was a ghostly incarnation of the mental image of Chara, standing in the real world as though she were a true mortal. Her body was translucent, and was wavering slightly, but she was there, in front of Frisk, without the aid of a mirror. Frisk stumbled back in shock, tripped, and fell backwards. She scrambled to her feet, not taking her eyes off the apparition for a second.

Chara looked gleeful as she twirled around, letting Frisk see her from all angles. **"I finally have enough power to manifest myself in this world, even if only you can see me, for the time being."** Her ghostly voice echoed throughout the chamber, ricocheting inside Frisk's mind unpleasantly. Frisk gulped, feeling apprehensive. The demon was loose, now.

Chara tapped her chin with a forefinger, looking thoughtful. **"I suppose you want an explanation, now, correct?"** Frisk nodded, too shocked to yet form words on her tongue. **"Very well. Let's see, where shall I begin?"**

" **A long, long time ago, I fell down into the Underground. The human world had erupted into civil war, yet again. I was not… in my right mind, when I climbed this mountain. I didn't expect to survive the fall, and was kind of pissed off that I had. Then I met Asriel."**

" **I didn't want to live, in this world, when I fell down. But, seeing the worried expression on his face, and how nice he treated me, even after all our kind has done to theirs… He made me want to keep going, if only so that I didn't hurt him."**

" **We quickly became like siblings. His parents, the king and queen of the entire Underground, took me in as their own, treating me just as they treated their own son. I formed quite the friendship with my newfound family, and I was happy, for the first time in my life."**

" **Then, I became very ill. Someone had poisoned me, I know it. I think the cook put buttercups in my stew, or something. But I just** _ **knew**_ **I was going to die. I wasn't afraid, like you would have been. I felt at peace. The only stain my death would have had on me was the guilt that Asriel would be on his own again."**

" **Strangely, I felt… Homesick. My true home was down here, yes, but I missed the farm I had been raised on, I missed the village I grew up in. Yeah, the people there were jerks, but they weren't like the soldiers that fought in the war. My last wish was to see my… biological family one last time, to see my village before I died. I knew it wouldn't happen, but when you're dying, well, you don't really think straight."**

" **Sadly, I died before my wish came true. But, something happened. Asriel… He absorbed my Soul. Whether it was intentional or not, I do not know. Nor do I care, really. But, Asriel took my Soul, and I watched as he picked up my body, and crossed the Barrier that no monster could cross. That's when I learned of what was needed, in order to cross the Barrier."**

" **Asriel carried me back to my village. It wasn't that far away, maybe a day's walk from the base of the mountain. But, because of what Asriel had turned into, he crossed that distance in half that time. It was just about sunset when we reached my village, and it had been noon when we had set out."**

" **The people there… They took one look at us and came running, pitchforks and torches at the ready. I tried to warn Asriel, and he seemed to have heard me, but he ignored my advice. He laid me gently on the ground in front of my house—I had pointed it out to him as we entered town—And then stood there, arms crossed, letting the townsfolk beat him. I screamed for him to do something, anything, but he ignored me."**

" **He tried to talk down the townsfolk. When they ignored him, he forged on, speaking until someone stabbed his throat with a scythe from a neighboring field. He fled then, racing back the way we had came. He passed through the Barrier, and collapsed in this very garden, dying. I felt myself start to drift away, and fought, wishing to stay with Asriel, even beyond death."**

" **I supposed I succeeded, in some way. I became a ghost, wandering these caverns for hundreds of years, waiting for a human to fall down that had enough willpower to help me become myself again. I was not the only ghost, as you have seen. I am just the only** _ **human**_ **ghost within the Underground."**

" **I was forced to watch the years go by, unable to help my parents in any way. I watched as, one by one, the other humans fell down here. None of them had the willpower, the Determination, that would let me posses them, as I've possessed you. One by one, the humans fell down here. One by one, they were struck down. And I watched, waited, and bided my time."**

" **Then, you came. At first, I watched, hesitant. I sensed that you weren't like the others. But you could Save, as I saw you Save at the Stars. I never had that power, even when I was alive. But, as a ghost, I could see everything. I watched you make friends. Eventually, I worked up the courage to try to posses you. That's when I came across the problem; you had too much Determination inside you, and your body and magic prevented me from taking over your Soul. So I watched, and waited, and bided my time."**

" **Then you Loaded a Save. I was confused, as I remembered what had happened, but I couldn't find you. And, believe me, I looked. But I didn't find you. Eventually, I came back to the garden, and felt something… off. I moved to the Barrier, and found it missing. Surprised, I tried to follow you, hearing your voices on the Surface."**

" **You can imagine my surprise when I was thrown backwards when I tried to cross the Barrier. See, as a human ghost, I was bound by the magic that had created me. As such, I couldn't pass through where the Barrier had been. I was tethered to the Underground, more trapped than any of the monsters that had been driven here long ago."**

" **I was furious. But then, I realized something: What if I possessed you? I could freely move through the Barrier, as I would be tethered to you. And possession tethers can be broken much easier than location tethers. Of course, there were a few hurdles that needed to be cleared first, though."**

" **I sought out the help of a certain weed that I had watched. For some reason, he reminded me of Asriel, in an unpleasant manner. However, besides you, he was the only one who could manipulate Time with Determination. As such, he has a unique bond with your Soul."**

" **With the flower's help, I was able to manipulate you into Resetting. As you Reset, your Determination exploded throughout the Timeline, giving me a window through which I was able to posses you. And I seem to have created a cycle of Resets as a side-effect of that."**

" **Thankfully, I can use said Resets to my advantage. With each Reset, a small part of me becomes stronger, and I am able to control you a little bit better, a little bit more. And, as I've found out with experimentations, with each kill, I become stronger. Every time you attack? That's me, killing for power."**

" **And that's my ultimate goal: Power. You see, I hate humans. They were the ones that made me so sick of this world that I willfully threw myself down a mountain in the hopes of killing myself. So I would destroy humanity, for all the sins they have wrought against me and others like me."**

" **I had no grudge against the monsters, before all of this. But my death was because of one of them. As well as Asriel's demise. I will destroy all monsters because of that. But the destruction of humanity and monster-kind is just the beginning. If I gain enough power, I'll be able to become a God, and pull the heart-strings of this very world."**

" **I'll manipulate this world, time and time again, becoming stronger the more I do. And, once I get bored with this world, I'll erase it, and move on to the next, doing the same until there is nothing left but me."**

" **However, in order to do this, I need to Reset this world a great many times, and kill many more times over. And you have that power, not I. So, I intend to strike a bargain with you. Your power, your… Soul, in essence, in exchange for your continued existence. If you agree to this deal, I will not destroy you, when it comes time to erase this world. You and I will become Gods of equal talent, manipulating universes as though they were playthings. If you don't agree, I will have no choice but to destroy you, right here and now. You have too much knowledge and power for me to let you go unharmed. So. Do we have an accord, or not?"**

Frisk hesitated, thoughtful. If she agreed to this deal, she would be signing her life away to a soulless demon, who had murdered her own father not ten minutes ago. But if she didn't agree, she would be destroyed, and all her efforts to stop Chara would be wasted. Besides, she would have a much easier chance to stop Chara's machinations from the inside, after Chara had softened to her, right?

"… Yes. I agree to work with you… I guess." Her voice was reluctant and soft, almost inaudible. But, of course, being a part of Frisk, Chara heard every word… And thought.

A slow, predatory smile twisted the childlike face. **"Good. Now, let's see if we can find some of those monsters that hid from us, shall we? And I'd love to chat with that scientist friend of yours. I have a bone to pick with her, so to speak."** She faded from sight, and Frisk felt the familiar presence of Chara take control of her Soul, as her eyes blazed fire-red.

 _Just a few more Resets. Once she trusts me, I'll be able to fight her. I'll stop her, even if I must die to do so. I promised Sans, and I'm not going back on my word. If that gets me killed, so be it._

 **A/N: Welp. Frisk's going a little heroine right now. And Chara's monologue is definitely villain-worthy. At least, I think so. Anyways, review time:**

 **Dragonjek: Yeah, Frisk's smarter than what Chara's giving her credit for. As for the bleeding thing: Sans is the only monster that can bleed. He's really special, and he'll come in a whole lot more as this story progresses. And yes, it's really blood. I don't really believe all that ketchup stuff, although if you do, I'm not going to judge. You're entitled to your own opinion, after all.**

 **I hope you guys liked this. Don't be afraid to leave advice or anything in the reviews, and if you want to PM me, that's okay. Although I'm not all that sure how PM stuff goes, but I think I'll get the hang of it. Have a great day (or night) and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay, everyone (again)! Hopefully future chapters won't take so long to write. Anyways, enjoy! Also, side note: I don't own Undertale or any of the characters in it.**

Chapter Sixteen

Months passed, and Chara chased down the monsters that hid from her, one by one. Alphys was a difficult fight, as she had… enhanced herself, in order to fight Chara on more equal terms. However, Chara was becoming more and more experienced at fighting, and after a few tries, she struck the scientist down.

Frisk tried her best to hinder Chara. She would often try to take back her body, and sometimes it worked. Often, that led to her death, but Frisk didn't care. If she could slow Chara's rampage, no matter the cost, she would try it. Chara became annoyed with Frisk after a few tries, however. She tightened her grip on Frisk's Soul, and Frisk found it twice as hard as before to take back control.

One day, Chara settled down in the abandoned Grillby's, having killed the owner recently. She scrounged around in the kitchens until she found some apples and a small container of fries. She took them over to the counter, and sat down, digging out a wrinkled paper out of her new satchel. Chara smoothed it on the counter, and took out a pen.

The paper had many names on it, most of them crossed out. Chara crossed out two more names on the list: Grillby and Snowdin Librarian. She tapped her chin with the pen, her childlike face thoughtful. Few names weren't crossed out, but a few stood out like sore thumbs: Onionsan, Snowdin Storekeeper, and Muffet's Pet. Chara scowled, and focused her thoughts at Frisk, who stared hopelessly at the list of victims.

 **Well, sis? I know you've met Onionsan before, as you've thought about him a couple times in the past. Do you know where he might be, by chance?** Her voice was sickly sweet, but had a predatory edge to it.

Frisk inwardly crossed her arms. _I thought you could read my mind. Why so reluctant to dig into my innermost thoughts, all of a sudden?_ Her voice was bitter, and her emerald eyes shone with resentment as she mentally glared at her inner demon.

Chara frowned, and her eyes looked troubled for a moment, thoughtful, even. **Ah, that's the problem, though. Although I can read your thoughts and sense your feelings, I cannot see your memories. I need you to think something in order for me to know what you've gone through.** Her voice had a slight bitterness to it.

Frisk paused, her arguments racing out her head in shock. _You can't see my memories?_ Chara nodded, calculating Frisk's reaction. Frisk felt a wave of relief wash through her, and then a blanket of curiosity. She had never thought too much on the whole issue of Chara reading her mind, but suddenly she felt curious. _If you can read my mind, does that mean I can read yours? I mean, I can hear the thoughts you send me, but you can hear even the stuff I don't project to you. Can I do that?_

Chara's expression went blank for a moment as she thought about Frisk's words, and then she burst out laughing, the bar echoing with her terrifying giggles. **Ha ha ha! You really think you can read my mind? Ha! It took me a long time to figure out how to read your mind; I couldn't do so until after I met you, in Father's home. And the only reason I can do so in the first place is because I'm dead! So, don't even try, sis. Sure, you technically died a few times during fights like the fish fight and with the comedian, but since you have your time magic, that sorta makes your death… irrelevant. You're still alive, so far as the universe is concerned.**

Frisk frowned in disappointment, but said nothing. Chara's eyes turned serious as she remembered her original question. **Anyhow, you know Onionsan. So, where might he be? Where did he say he was from? Did he tell you where his friends were, in another timeline?** Frisk's lips pursed as she deliberated for a moment.

Frisk felt something rise up within her. Determination was coming back to her. She mentally crossed her arms, her emerald eyes glittering with malice as she turned on Chara. _You know what? I'm not going to tell you. You've had your fun. You've killed nearly everyone in the Underground. I think it's time you stop, and really think about what you've done._ Chara blinked in surprise, her red eyes blazing in the dim light of the bar.

Chara chuckled darkly, mentally sneering at Frisk. **You really think you have a choice, sis? Think about it. Who's in control? Who's forced to watch? I'm in control. You're going to tell me what you know about our next target. After all, you agreed to our deal.** Her inner voice was a predatory purr as she mentally stalked toward Frisk, who internally held her ground, her eyes burning with Determination.

 _Maybe I agreed._ Frisk admitted as much, inclining her head slightly to her inner demon. _But I have as much power as you over the Time magic. And it's closing in on the time when the magic Resets, anyway. Less than a week. I think it'll allow me to Reset just a little bit early. And you may be in control now, but I'm not letting you kill all my friends again. I won't let you do genocide again. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it._ She felt her Determination rise up, and started to fuel her increasing power into her magic, hoping that she could still Reset, even when Chara's in control.

Chara growled, feeling the magic welling up inside their body. **Don't do this, sis. You know I'll just become more powerful. Do you really want that?** Frisk took a deep breath. _No. I want my friends back._ With that snappy comeback, she snapped her magic, and Time unwound itself around them as Frisk Reset the Timeline.

Frisk awoke on a field of buttercups. Chara was weakened for a minute by the sudden Reset, and Frisk used that to her advantage. She internally wrangled Chara into the mental cage that had held her in the last Timeline, and turned mentally to take control of her body, relishing in the freedom the control gave her.

Frisk stood, her locket glimmering in the dim light of the cave. She clutched it, feeding some of her power into it. She strode into the next room, her brown eyes adjusting quickly to the dim light of the cavern.

Flowey was in the next room, his expression one of exasperation. He noticed Frisk drawing near, and took a deep breath. "You. I've had enough of your betrayals, human. You've killed me one too many times. I may have helped you in the last timeline, but then you murdered me! I thought you were better than that. Well, no more. I'm just going to off you now, and keep killing you with every Reset. Die, traitor!" He flung hundreds of pellets at Frisk, not messing around anymore.

Chara shouted from her cage. **Let me take over, or you'll be killed!** Frisk ignored her, throwing herself from side to side in an effort to dodge the evil flower's bullets. It was hard, at first, and she got struck in the leg twice, but she kept going, her eyes narrowed in Determination. Eventually, Toriel came in to save the day, and Frisk limped after her, letting the goat monster guide her through the Ruins.

Toriel guided them to her home, where she settled Frisk down on a chair. "Let me heal you, child. I know your leg is hurt, as you were limping the whole way here." Frisk allowed Toriel to heal her, relaxing as soothing green energy flowed from the monster's hands.

Inside Frisk's head, Chara looked thoughtful, resting against the mental bars of her cage. **Hmm… You know, there's something you told me. You're sick of my… What did you call it? Genocide? Yes… Yes, that's got a nice ring to it. Genocide. Perfect name for what I was doing, really.**

Frisk inwardly turned to glare at Chara silently. Chara gave Frisk an innocent pout. **What's that face for? I'm just complimenting your use of words, is all.** Frisk mentally rolled her eyes. _Chara, please. I know you're up to something. Whatever you're thinking, no. I'm not letting you take control again. Not after what you did. Not after the promise I made._

Chara's eyes gleamed playfully. **And what promise would that be, hmm? The deal you made with me, perchance? Because, I have to tell you, I did not offer you your life in exchange for you throwing me in mental jail. That's certainly not our deal.** Her voice was a predatory purr, teasing Frisk lightly with each playful word.

Frisk rubbed her temples, inwardly groaning. _Chara, I'm too tired to argue with you at the moment. Just shut up and let me take over our story for a while. Don't worry, you still get to watch everything._ Her mental tone was weary, with a slight sarcastic note at the end.

Chara scoffed. **As if I had nothing else to do, sis. It's not like I'm alive or anything.** Her mental tone turned bitter, envy dripping from her spiritual mouth. Frisk felt a stab of pity for the poor child, trapped in her body as Chara was.

Toriel interrupted this mental conversation. "Child, is something wrong with your head? You look… troubled." Frisk glanced up, surprise in her gaze. She shook her head.

"It's nothing, just a headache. It'll probably go away once I lie down. Speaking of which, may I stay here for the night? I have nowhere else to go." She took on a pleading, innocent look. Toriel hesitated, deliberating, but relented when Frisk gave her the puppy-dog eyes.

Toriel's warm red eyes softened. "Of course, child. I have a spare room you can sleep in, actually. Come, I'll show you." She showed Frisk the child's room she had prepared. It was as Frisk remembered it. After thanking Toriel, Frisk shut the door and sat down on the bed.

Before Frisk rested for the night, there were a few questions she wanted to pose to her inner demon. _So. You've said before that you're not the only ghost. Did you know Napstablook and Mettaton?_ Her inner self leaned against a nearby wall, her green eyes trained on Chara.

Chara chuckled. **Yeah, I know those goons. Mettaton was always too full of himself to ever notice me. Besides, I generally stuck to the shadows. Most of the time, anyways. Napstablook and I were… allies, for want of a better term. He was the one who first met me after my death, and explained how being a ghost worked. He kept me company for a short time, a decade or two.**

Frisk's eyes widened. _A decade?_ _ **That's**_ _a short time for you? Never mind, I've got a better question. So, all these ghosts could see you, right? Well, how come they never told Asgore about it? I assume he never learned what became of you, after you and Asriel died._ Her eyes glittered with curiosity.

Chara hesitated. She turned her head away from Frisk, inspecting the ground. Being the inside of Frisk's head, it was reddish-pink in color, and had a rough, carpet-like texture to it. **Well… Mettaton was always in the spotlight, and had no time to even see me, so he wasn't an issue. Most of the others were too busy with their… afterlives to care about who I was. I was just another ghost to them, and they paid me no heed. No, the real trouble was with Napstablook.**

 **You see, when he first met me, and heard who I was, his first instinct was to let Mettaton know. But I couldn't let that fool know, because if he knew who I was, he would tell Father. And I wasn't ready to tackle him yet, especially since all the living monsters couldn't see me for some reason, including my parents.**

 **Once I… intimidated Napstablook into not telling Mettaton, he wanted to tell Asgore himself. Ghost's got heroism in his ectoplasm, or something. Anyways, I… er… Well, you don't need the details. All you need to know is that I… persuaded Napstablook into not telling Dad I was still… well, not alive, but in existence.**

Frisk narrowed her eyes at Chara. _What did you do to poor Blooky to make him not tell Asgore? And was it worth it, in the end?_ Chara avoided Frisk's searching gaze.

 **Let's just say that I showed him what I do to traitors. Don't worry, he wasn't harmed. Now, that fish's dad, on the other hand… He didn't fare too well. And after that, I had another ghost to keep me from feeling too alone in this world.**

 **Was it worth it? Absolutely. Father would be… Not in his right mind, if he knew my whole story. Besides, thinking I was gone was some form of closure, right? I wouldn't take that from him. But, for the most part, I just wasn't ready to face my past. Not yet, I kept telling myself. The past can wait. It's not like it's going anywhere, or anything. Heh, little did I know, eh? I feel so silly now, knowing what Time can do. Don't you feel so too, sis?** Her voice echoed throughout Frisk's head, becoming more ghostly with each sentence. Frisk's hair stood on end.

Frisk shook her head. _No… You killed Undyne's dad? That's… Bad. I mean it. And Asgore should know the truth! He's been grieving for you all this time, he's_ _ **killed**_ _humans because you and Asriel died! Isn't that important to you? At all?_ Chara stared at Frisk, unimpressed by the girl's horror-filled gaze.

 **So what if he killed humans? Truth is, they probably would have done the same to him, if he hadn't been twice as powerful as those kids. In some cases, at least…. Besides, Father needs to move on. I have, so why can't he? Life isn't all sunshine and daisies, Frisk. People die. The world's full of monsters, both human and non-human alike. You need to learn that, or else you'll be destroyed.** Her tone was serious at the end, and she looked straight into Frisk's eyes, blazing red meeting emerald green in a mental showdown.

Frisk bowed her head. _I know all that. Life_ _ **isn't**_ _fair. But there are good people in the world, too, along with the bad. You were one of those good people, once, right? Before you died? You cared about Toriel. You laughed with Asgore. And you loved Asriel like a brother. You said as much before. You were a good person, once. And, even though you may not think so, I think there might still be a glimmer of a good person still within you. After all, why else would you insist on calling me your sister, when we have no real relation, besides sharing a body?_ Her eyes were warm and welcoming, hope shining in those green pearls.

Chara's face turned deadly serious, and she looked away, not meeting Frisk's hopeful gaze. **That's enough talking for tonight. Goodnight, Frisk.** Her voice was distant, and she lay down in her mental cage, her blood-red eyes closing as she fell asleep. Frisk let out a breath, but said nothing more. She lay down in the warm bed, and slumber enveloped her like a warm hug.

 **A/N: Well, that was some insight into Chara's afterlife. Frisk sees the slight good that's still within Chara. Question is, will Chara ever see the light? Probably not. Anyways, Review Time!**

 **Dragonjek: Thanks for letting me know about that plot hole (at the end of your review). I didn't think of it that way, actually! But, then again, Frisk really wants to live, and she probably didn't think about that, either. But, you never know. And no, Chara wasn't there for all of Frisk's first adventure. She was there for most of it, but when Frisk Reset in order to get the True Pacifist ending, Chara lost sight of her, and searched for her. Unfortunately for Chara, she was looking in all the wrong places at all the wrong times, so she didn't find Frisk again. She eventually gave up, and that's when she found the Barrier shattered. But, for the most part, she was telling the truth. Hiding some details about her reasons about wanting to destroy both humanity and monster-kind, yes, but mainly telling the truth. And, no, Flowey isn't very happy with Chara. She's gonna have to watch out in the future...**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story, and have a great day/night!**


	9. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey, guys! Here's another chapter for you. I've done something a little different, and put the beginning in Sans POV. If you like his POV in the story, please tell me, as I can't read minds! Also, so that I know if you guys read the A/N, please guess what age Frisk is. I don't think I've said, yet. I'll reveal it in the next chapter. Anyway, usual disclaimer of I don't own Undertale. Enjoy the story!**

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Chapter Seventeen

Sans strode through the snowy forest, a scowl on his face. It had been a week since he had woken up and realized that _someone_ had Reset the Timeline. Again. He slowed as he neared his destination: the door leading to the Ruins. He looked up, swirls of snow drifting past him. He stopped suddenly as he realized the big purple door was opening.

Quickly, Sans hid behind a tree, watching intently as the human stepped out into the snow, her face troubled. Sans corrected himself with an inaudible growl. _Not human,_ he thought. _She's a_ _ **demon.**_ _She killed everyone without batting an eye, remember?_ He remembered all too well, and felt his eyes dim as he stared silently at the girl as she walked past.

She looked worried about something, and for a moment Sans wondered what she was thinking about. He shook those thoughts out of his head, however. _She's a demon. I shouldn't even think like that. She probably is worried about how many times I'll kill her this time, or something. After all, I know what she's gonna do._ He silently started to follow her, his eyes dark and intense.

The demon paused at the barrier Papyrus had constructed. She was breathing heavily. Sans strode up behind her, hiding in the shadows. **"Human,"** he greeted. The child stiffened before turning around. Relief was evident in her eyes. She held out her hand, probably assuming that Sans would take it like normal.

But Sans didn't care to act normal anymore. At least when it came to this girl. **"Or should I say** _ **demon**_ **?"** Sans added, stepping out of the shadows, a frown on his skeletal face. He glared daggers at the child, and she slowly put her hand down, opening her mouth to protest. Sans didn't need to hear it, though. He held up a hand to stall her.

Sans continued on relentlessly, his eye lights coming back, but his face no less deadly. "Look. I don't need to hear it. We both know what's gonna happen. I'm giving you a warning, demon. Do what you will, but if you hurt people, if you kill people like last time, **you're gonna have a REALLY bad time, kid.** " He then brushed past her, striding across the bridge quickly. He heard hesitant footsteps follow, and he sighed wearily. He didn't like giving threats like that, but things had to be different now. They **had** to be.

He glanced up as Papyrus strode confidently into the clearing, looking mad as a storm. Sans blinked. _Oh, right. I forgot about the puzzles I was supposed to do. Welp, shouldn't matter, anyway. She wouldn't care even if Paps tried to get her to walk the plank, like in those pirate movies Undyne likes so much._ Sans forced a lazy smile as his bro neared.

"Sans! It's been eleven days, and you haven't recalibrated your puzzles!" Papyrus shouted at him. Sans shrugged, sensing movement behind him. He tried not to show how tense he felt.

"So? I've done a **ton** of work today, bro. A skele- **ton**." Sans chuckled as his brother threw his hands in the air in exasperation. No matter how many times the Timeline Reset, that joke _never_ got old.

"Sans! I'm serious! I have to capture a human, so I can fulfill my potential as the newest member of the Royal Guard! And I can't do that when you boondoggle all the time, you lazy-bones!"

Sans yawned, his eyes darkening for a moment. He blinked lazily at his bro, and his eye lights glowed white as he thought up another joke. "Hey, bro? You know what's so great about Snowdin? It's always so cool!" He smiled as Papyrus stamped his foot in frustration at his older brother. "Seriously, though. I'm bone tired, Paps. I'll calibrate them tomorrow, I promise. For now, why don't you hang around your station for a bit? Who knows, maybe a human will show up for you to capture." He watched as Papyrus stormed off, before turning to the demon behind him. Her brown eyes glimmered as she watched Sans warily.

Sans crossed his arms. "Stay away from my brother, demon. Go through Snowdin quickly, and be gone by noon tomorrow. You won't like what happens if you don't heed my warning. Like I've said before, **you'd be dead where you stand**. So get going." He turned and walked off, leaving the child looking forlorn and worried.

Sans strode into the forest, and was shocked to find his brother waiting not too far away, coming back towards him with a thoughtful expression. Sans put his hands in his pockets, feeling tense. "Hey, bro," he called as Papyrus neared. "I thought I told you to go back to your station?"

Papyrus stopped walking, folding his arms. "I was, but then I remembered that I forgot to tell you something. I met with Undyne not too long ago, when you were busy sleeping at your station." The taller skeleton glared daggers at Sans, who shrugged carelessly.

"What can I say, bro? I felt that staying awake was too **cool** for me." He chuckled lightly. Papyrus stamped his foot.

"SANS! Now is not the time for your puns! Now, as I was saying, Undyne had some interesting ideas that I'd like to share…" Papyrus's eyes wandered over San's head, and he lost his words. "Brother, what is that, behind you?" Sans turned, tensing slightly at the tone Papyrus had.

There, of course, stood Frisk, looking forlorn and lost. She flinched as Sans glared at her, silent for a moment. He then turned back to his brother. "That's a rock, bro." And, sure enough, there was an innocent-looking rock behind Frisk. Papyrus narrowed his eyes at his shorter brother.

"I know, Sans! I was asking about the person in front of the rock! Is she a new monster? I don't think I've seen her before." His tone was curious.

Sans hesitated. Normally, he would tell the truth. But the last time he'd done that, his dust was spread across the snow. He sighed. Perhaps if the story was different, the demon wouldn't have cause to kill his bro? Besides, he lied to Paps all the time, and it never hurt him. Quite the contrary. "… Yeah, she's from the Capital. One of a kind, I hear. She's here to see what it's like, and to figure out if Snowdin's nice enough to move into." The lies rolled out Sans's mouth like butter, and Papyrus's face softened.

"Oh, I see! Welcome, friend! What's your name?" Papyrus stepped closer, and Sans stiffened, wary eyes on the demon.

She swallowed, looking confusedly at Sans before meeting Papyrus's warm gaze. "I'm Frisk," she stammered. "I'm just passing through, actually." She shared a meaningful glance with Sans, who narrowed his gaze untrustingly.

Papyrus shook his head. "Nonsense, Frisk! Stay, as you're more than welcome in our humble town. And, if you need any help, just ask for the Great Papyrus! I will come to your aid! Ooh, but look at the time! I should really be fixing my puzzles! See you later, friend!" Papyrus turned, nodded at his brother, and hurried on, presumably to calibrate his puzzles.

Sans glared at Frisk silently, before following his brother. He heard the demon mumble something, but didn't care enough to make out the words. He strode quickly through the forest, until he found his brother, who was tampering with the "invisible maze" project he'd been working on recently.

Sans strolled up to his brother, chewing on his words. "So… What do you think of our new, uh, 'friend,' Paps?" He casually glanced at his brother, who scowled at the blue orb that he was tinkering with. He glanced up at Sans, his gaze turning pleasant for a moment, before turning back to his project.

"I think she's very friendly, if a bit timid! However, she was probably just too amazed at meeting the Great Papyrus to be social. What do you think of her? I saw you giving her a weird look, brother. Have you two met before?" His voice was slightly distant, and his eyes glowed slightly orange as he spilled some of his magic into the orb.

Sans hesitated. "You could say that, sure. But, there's something I gotta tell you about this new girl." His voice was serious, urgent. Papyrus looked up, surprised.

"What is it, brother? You seem troubled. Do not worry, the Great Papyrus shall help you!" He smiled at Sans, who smiled distractedly back.

"Thanks, bro. Good to know you have my spine. But, uh, about this girl… You gotta stay away from her. She's… She's dangerous. She's hurt people before, and I don't want you to…" He wanted to say _get hurt, too_ but he couldn't. He deflated. "… to hang around someone like that," he finished lamely. Papyrus shot him a worried glance.

"What do you mean, she's dangerous? Why, she looks like she could hardly stand, let alone hurt someone! She looks afraid of even _you_ , and we both know you're not exactly frightening." Papyrus stood up, forgetting the orb. "What do you have against that poor girl, brother?"

Sans crossed his arms. "She really is dangerous, bro. Trust me, I've seen her hurt people, and I couldn't do a thing about it. You can't be around someone like that. Please, Paps. Just… just be careful, and don't go near her, alright?" His voice pleaded as he turned white eye-lights upon his brother, who stubbornly put his mitted hands on his hips.

"I don't see this monster-child hurting anyone, I really don't! You probably just dreamed the whole thing up, lazybones. I saw the look she gave you. She's afraid of you, I can tell, and I've only met her once! She's far from home, and you tell me to stay away from her, that she's dangerous? What's gotten into you, brother?" Papyrus worriedly studied his skeleton brother's face.

Sans turned away, frustrated. "You're so stubborn, Papyrus! Can't you see, she's _hurt_ people! Badly! I don't want you to get hurt, too, Paps." His eyes stung with unshed tears. "You're my brother. I don't want you to see what she's done, I don't want you to experience that."

Papyrus leaned close, studying San's face. "Oh, dear, you're upset, aren't you? I'm sorry, brother, but you're not going to dissuade me. She's a nice girl, I'm sure. Maybe you just need to spend more time with her to see that. For now, go home and feed your pet rock. You're in a mood, and you need time to cool down. I'll finish my puzzle, and then I'll come home and we can have Nice Cream tonight after dinner. How's that sound?"

Sans nodded, not sure he could say anything more without breaking down. He trudged past Papyrus, deciding to go for a walk before going back to town. He walked through the trees, relishing in the snow that brushed his face as his mind raced.

His brother was adamant that the demon was nice. But then again, he'd only met the girl once. As reluctant as he was, he kept coming to the same conclusion as he strolled among the snowy evergreens. His brother had to meet the demon a few more times, see what she's like. He pushed through the snow, heading back to the puzzle part of the forest. If he hurried, he might just meet them…

Sans marched into the clearing, and came face to face with the trap-ridden bridge that was so familiar to him. His brother's back was to him, and a small yet familiar figure was just coming to the bridge. Ah, so the demon was this close to town already? Sans breathed in deeply, feeling tense as the familiar blue and pink sweater drew near.

Sans could see more dust on the girl than before. Not quite as much dust as last time, though, he noted. He may not remember everything, but the first portion, where Frisk and Papyrus played their games, was one of the parts he remembered, even if the memories were a bit dark and blurred at the edges.

Papyrus called out to Frisk suddenly, making Sans jump as his brother's voice rang out across the cavern. "Child! This is the Final Puzzle! The most death-defying puzzle I have ever created!"

He pushed a button, and the weapons were revealed. Sans stared at the fluffy puppy that hang from the ceiling. "Behold! Spikes, blades, fire, and spears, all on a rickety bridge that floats high above a dangerous precipice! A true gauntlet of deadly terror!" He hesitated. "When I press this button… The weapons will fly free, swinging and sawing. There will only be a slim window of surviving this onslaught." His voice trembled slightly.

Frisk's eyes were wide, but the terror there was superficial, and Sans thought he heard her muttering under her breath. The air around her trembled slightly. Sans wondered whether the physical plane, the earth-bones of this world, could feel the time-anomalies. He sighed, massaging his temples. Thoughts like that gave him a headache. And he had no time to sleep it off right now.

Sans watched, bored, as the spectacle of Papyrus's bridge "puzzle" unfolded. Afterward, Papyrus strode out of the room, glancing questioningly at his brother. Sans smiled at his bro, his eye-lights glowing bright white. Papyrus passed without a word, and Sans turned to glare at the approaching Frisk.

Sans folded his arms, feeling his eye-lights fade. **"I'm watching you, demon."** Unfolding his arms, Sans walked away, feeling the gaze of the demon lingering as he strode into the familiar forest surrounding his home.

Snowdin's lights, normally very comforting, chilled Sans's bones as he marched into town. He glanced around him, evaluating. Most of the dogs were missing. And Icecap was nowhere to be found. Sans sighed wearily as he made his way to the local bar, drinking in the sights and smells of the warm Grillby's patrons enjoying their food.

Sans took his customary seat at the bar, nodding to the flaming monster as he handed out fries to a bunny-monster that smiled at Sans as she passed. Grillby turned and grabbed a couple bottles of ketchup, setting them down in front of Sans. "I'll be right with you," rumbled the fire-man. "Soon as I get these last monsters served, I'll come and chat. That's ten Gold, by the way."

Sans let a slow smile spread across his face. "Put it on my tab; I'll pay it later." He grabbed one of the ketchups, opened it, and chugged about a fourth of the contents, knowing he'd probably be in the bar for a while.

A few minutes passed, and Sans brooded. Grillby suddenly pulled up a chair, as the dull roar of the bar settled down to a low rumble. "So, I can tell things aren't doing so well, Sans. You usually don't guzzle down a bottle that fast." Indeed, Sans was already on his second bottle of ketchup. "If you aren't careful, you'll drink my whole stock, and then I'll make you foot the bill." His voice was firm, but had a slight undertone of humor that let Sans know that he wasn't serious. Or, at least, not completely. "So. What's wrong now?"

Sans groaned. "Take your pick. Had a fight with Paps, a human crawled out of the Ruins, and I'm stuck trying to juggle Pap's safety and his stubbornness at the same time. I'm gonna need more than two bottles. Just stick the expenses on my tab—I'll pay it later, once this whole affair blows over."

Grillby stood up, going over to the ketchup dispenser he had made especially for Sans. "You fought with Papyrus? Let me guess: It was over the human, wasn't it?" Grillby knew a lot more than he let on. Sans eyed him warily, but let the look go when Grillby slid two more bottles over to him. "Don't drink it all at once; you'll get sick."

Sans drank deeply. "Sorta. He thinks the human's a monster that's just moved in to Snowdin. He's letting the girl solve his puzzles, and seems taken with her." He snorted. "If only he knew," he mumbled into his ketchup bottle. Grillby's flaming face contorted into an expression of confusion.

"That doesn't seem too bad, doesn't it? He seems to have found a new friend, at least. You seem to think differently, though."

Sans shrugged, feeling weary and exasperated. "The human's dangerous. I've told him that. He seems to think she's all kindness and mercy. But she's not, I know her. She's gonna kill him if he keeps playing his games with her. But he's adamant; the girl can do no harm in his eyes." He didn't notice that the rumble of voices had ceased, and the bar was eerily quiet.

Sans felt rage and grief stir deep within him, as he remembered seeing his brother's dust mixed with the snow. "She's gonna kill him, and I can't stop her. I've seen it before, and I can't stop it. I don't want him to die, but he's so stubborn; he's walking into his death like a blind fool. I've tried to tell him, but he doesn't think she'll hurt him. He thinks she's afraid of me, but nothing could make that demon afraid. Nothing could stir that demon's heart. I should know, I tried." His vision was blurred with tears, and he didn't really care that he was babbling everything to Grillby; he didn't care about anything anymore except his memories.

He saw, in his mind's eye, the gold-checked floor of the Judgment Hall. He saw the red of the demon's eyes as she slashed at him, laughing. He heard the sound of bones snapping in and out of existence as she danced with him around the gold battlefield of death.

"Paps thinks he knows the girl. He thinks she's a nice, timid monster. She's anything but. She may be human, but she's a demon at heart. And I can't see his dust in the snow, not again. I don't want her to kill him, even though I know she will." Tears streamed down his face, and his left eye gleamed a soft blue as raw emotion burned in his Soul.

Sans felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see a worried Grillby looking down at him. "Sans, I know you're upset. But there's not much you can do. Papyrus is an adult now, however much you may think otherwise. His choices are his own to make, and your arguments won't do anything to change that skeleton's mind. If he wants to be friends with this human, let him. Maybe he can teach her the error in her ways, who knows? You may be worrying over nothing, my friend. But for now, it's late, and you should get your rest, before Papyrus comes in and yells at you to get back to your station." Grillby chuckled slightly at the memory of young Papyrus bursting in and grabbing Sans from his stool, dragging him out into the cold snow outside.

Sans sniffed, and looked up at Grillby, weariness in his eyes. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it is nothing. But he's still my brother, and I still love him, just the same." He slid down from his stool. He stumbled over to the door, the empty bar echoing with his footsteps. He turned, staring at Grillby with seriousness in his gaze. "If you see a human wearing a striped shirt, don't let her in here, and don't let her hurt anyone, especially you. She's stronger than she looks, remember that." He turned and walked out the door, his Soul heavy.

He trudged home, his thoughts dark. He put a skeletal hand on the doorknob, but hesitated, looking to his right. The foggy area before Waterfall called to him, and he felt torn. He glanced back at the door, his hand tightening on the knob. _I should look. What if he's not dead yet, and I could help him? What if the demon decided to spare him? I won't know unless I see for myself._ His hand fell from the knob, and he turned away, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he stalked through the fog, nervousness weighing in his Soul.

Sans saw a hole in the endless mist, and hurried toward it, desperate to see again. He burst into the clear patch, and looked about, a worried expression on his skeletal face. A blur of red entered his peripheral vision, and he whipped his skull in that direction. He stiffened, his legs locking as his eye sockets widened in horror. He collapsed to his knees, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at the dust and snow that was the remains of his brother. Here and there among the white powder parts of Papyrus's "battle body" stuck out, and the red scarf he wore around his neck fluttered in the breeze, half-buried.

Sans felt his eyes darken, and he clenched his fists in grief. "Papyrus… No… Paps…" His voice was but a whisper, lost to the wind. He knelt by his brother's dust, and great sobs wracked his body. He let the tears flow, his Soul heavy and dark.

Sans had no idea how long he knelt there, his legs freezing in the snow. He whispered his lament until he was hoarse, and sobbed his grief until his tears ran dry. Finally, he looked up. Somehow, the evening had turned to early morning, and the rustle of the town waking up was heard distantly.

Sans felt rage claw into his Soul in a sudden flood of emotion. His eye flared bright blue as he growled Frisk's name. _She did this. The demon killed him._ _ **That dirty brother killer**_ _. I gave her ample warning. I gave her a second chance, after all she'd done. And she killed Paps. That demon's gonna_ _ **have a bad time.**_ He stood, trembling with emotion.

He glanced down at the remains of his brother, and hesitated. He saw the red scarf, fluttering sadly in the breeze. He grabbed it, wrapping it around his neck. The thing was way too long for him, hanging around his ankles, but he didn't care. He looked up, seeing a slight footprint in the snow. He chuckled darkly. The demon hadn't covered her tracks; he could follow her easily. Besides, it's not as if he didn't know where she's going to go. He started marching, his eyes dark and deadly. _No more second chances. This human is going to_ _ **die**_ _._

* * *

Frisk sat with her back to Sans's station, her hair sticky with sweat. She could feel the heat of the Hotlands all around her, and she could hear the whooshing of the steam vents in the distance. Her hands trembled as she sat, and her face was pale with mortification and slight terror. Chara's ghost stood in front of her, hands on her hips. Chara pursed her lips, her red eyes blazing in the orange light.

"Why… why did you kill them? Undyne, Papyrus, all those monsters in Waterfall… None of them deserved their fate. You could have spared them! Papyrus was sparing _you_ , for God's sake! And you killed the poor skeleton!" Frisk's voice trembled with horror as she remembered the expression of shock and terror on the skeleton's face as Chara struck him down with a single hit.

Chara scoffed. **Why, it's simple, sis. Their deaths give me power. And, if I can't do genocide, the least I can do is kill as many as I can. After all, you were very vehement that I don't do the same as the last timeline. I listened to you, sis. I just need more power, is all. Hmm… I can feel something different… Can't you feel that?** Frisk swallowed, and watched as Chara paced in front of her. **Well, no matter. What is done is done, after all. Now, there's no time to waste. Let's get moving, before night falls. I still don't know how Father dims the crystals like that. Magic, maybe? Perhaps you could ask next time we fight him, before we kill him and try to take his Soul, of course.**

Frisk felt a nasty taste in her mouth. "Stop that, Chara. I'm not going to let you kill him again. Not this time. I've learned my lesson. Now, get back in here, and let me take over for a while. I'm not going to let you kill everybody in the Hotlands, too." Chara pouted as she faded back into the cage that Frisk had in her mind. Frisk locked the door firmly behind Chara, her mental eyes glaring at her inner demon.

 **Why not, sis? It's great fun, don't you agree? Now, I don't like it when they scream, as that's quite annoying, but don't tell me the scent of fear isn't intoxicating. Don't you feel excited when your opponent realizes they're outclassed, and the resigned terror comes into their eyes?** Chara smiled like a child when Christmas comes early.

Frisk visibly flinched as she stood up. _No! That's sadistic! Why would you ever feel like that?!_ Chara just shook her head at Frisk, her red eyes blazing between the bars of her mental cage.

 **Sadly, I think you're right. I am sadistic.** Her voice sounded soft, genuine. **I've been dead for three and a half centuries, you know that? Three-hundred and fifty years to the day. Give or take all the Resets, of course. That's a long time to just sit around and watch as your family tries desperately to avenge your death with more deaths. Add on all the times that weed Reset, as well as the time spent possessing you, and that's even longer. One goes mental after a few decades pass, and I've been dead for way longer than that. Sadistic? No, more like insane.** Her voice was low, and she spoke almost to herself, turning her head away. Frisk's eyes bulged.

 _No, you're not… I didn't mean… You're not crazy! You can still talk like a normal person, and you've adapted well to the nuances of our newer way of speaking! You're not crazy. Maybe I am, though. After all, I'm speaking to a dead girl who's possessed my body, and I can travel through time. Normal girls can't do that, I'm sure._ She chuckled nervously, starting to walk across a bridge.

Chara sighed. **No, you're not crazy, just different. You have magic, something most humans couldn't even imagine back in my day. You were chosen by Fate to wield powers no normal person could ever dream of possessing. And then you've got me. I kill people to get power, and my goals in… well, not life, but in the afterlife, maybe? Anyways, my goals are to get enough power to be a pure God in this world, manipulating monsters and humans alike before destroying this universe and moving on to the next. That's not mentally healthy goals, I assume. Then again, humanity has changed, and perhaps that's not as inhumane as it would've been in my time.**

She lifted her head, looking out into the next area. **You're coming up on the scientist's lab, now. I'll be silent while you play your game. Just remember, I'll want to play mine after a while, and I don't play nice or fair.** She then fell silent, and Frisk turned her attention outwards, her brown eyes glittering worriedly as she approached the big white building.

Frisk took a deep breath as she opened the metal door. _It's show time_ , she thought ironically. With that, she took a step forward, and shut the door behind her, covering the lab with darkness. She knew where the lights were, however, and started making her way towards them.

Then the bathroom door opened, and Alphys stepped out, switching on the lights. She distractedly took a few steps towards Frisk before looking up, and, upon seeing Frisk, she gasped in surprised delight. "Oh, it's you! I didn't realize that you'd be here so soon! Oh my goodness, I'm not ready! I thought I'd have more time to prepare before I met you!" She settled down, taking a breath. Frisk feigned confusion, her warm brown eyes twinkling in the harsh white light of the lab.

"I'm Dr. Alphys, the Royal Scientist. And you're the human that's been walking around here, aren't you? I've been watching you, with my cameras. I have them set up all throughout the Underground, so that if a human comes through here, I'd see them and warn the king." Alphys paused, catching her breath. "There's, uh, one small little problem to address, I'm afraid," she stuttered uncomfortably. "You see, not every human that fell down here made friends like you. So, uh, the King needed some way of, uh, deterring the mean humans. So, I, uh, made a human-killing robot to help him? It's not as bad as it sounds," she added quickly, as Frisk pretended to be shocked and slightly terrified. "He's… he's not like that now. He's still got the programs, but I tried to take those out. He's, uh… different, now."

Just then, a metallic clang shook the building. Alphys paused, confused. "What was that?" she asked. Frisk pretended to be just as confused as the scientist, and shrugged, shaking her head. Another, louder clang followed, and an almost earth-shattering silence fell on the lab. Alphys, realizing what was happening, gulped, paling visibly. "Uh-oh."

A loud, metallic crash shook the room, and wall-dust filled the air. Frisk coughed, narrowing her eyes and waving her hand to clear the air in front of her. After a few moments, the dust-cloud settled, and Frisk watched as the television-shaped robot wheeled into the room, music playing loudly from a speaker set in its chest. Mettaton had made his dramatic entrance, on cue.

Frisk watched, wide-eyed, as he introduced himself. Then, the multiple-choice questions rolled in. Being a silent-type girl, Frisk was pleased that the robot didn't make her speak. Instead, he pressed a button on his console (chest) and four green lights appeared on the floor, with the letters A, B, C, and D boxed in green squares, and the letters shown in gold light. Frisk figured that she just had to step on the correct box in order to answer. Alphys cowered behind her as she responded to the questions.

The last question threw Frisk for a loop, however. Unlike the other timelines, Mettaton's surprise question was different. Frisk listened, stunned, as Mettaton shouted out the new question through his speaker.

"After that last question, beauties, I have to work out a new one that Alphys would never guess correctly. Ready? What was the first human's favorite fruit?" The answers changed, and Frisk hurriedly looked down, swallowing the shock that she felt. _Is he talking about you?_ She looked at her choices.

There was A: Apple; B: Watermelon; C: Orange; and D: Pear. Chara laughed mentally, her creepy laugh making Frisk inwardly flinch. **Well, I hate watermelon, and I'm allergic to pears, so those two are out. Oranges are too sticky and smell disgusting, while apples taste delicious and are easy to clean up. Apple's my favorite, apparently, although I never really thought about it until now.** Frisk raised her eyebrows, but stayed silent, stepping on the light that shone on A. The room fell silent, and the light shone gold, telling a relieved Frisk that she had answered correctly.

"Correct. I am afraid I cannot stay. With Alphys giving the answers and you knowing the impossible, I am sure to lose this game. But don't worry, darlings, I will be back. Next time, prepare for more drama, more romance, and more bloodshed! Bye-bye, beauties!" With that, the intelligent computer turned into a rocket and launched into the air, blasting a hole through the lab's ceiling as he took a dramatic exit.

Alphys turned to Frisk. "Well, that was, uh, something." She blinked, looking surprised. "How did you know that about the first human, by the way? I don't think you knew her on the surface, right? She died hundreds of years ago, way before you were born."

Frisk frantically thought up a convincing lie. "Easy," she stammered. "All humans like apples. We grow them in huge orchards because of that. Imagine hundreds of trees, all grouped together, with hundreds of apples on each tree. That's an average orchard." Alphys narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.

"Well, you should probably be going, as I wouldn't want to impede your journey. But, uh, how about I give you my number, and if you ever need any help, you can give me a call, alright? If you want to, I mean." She sounded unsure of herself, timid and reserved. Frisk softened.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Here, put your number in, and that way you know my number, too." She handed her phone to Alphys. She idly wondered why her phone still had all the upgrades Alphys had put on it in a past timeline, but put it out of her mind as the lizard gave her phone back. She pocketed the phone, and prepared for the long journey through the Hotlands.

* * *

 **A/N: Sans is SO mad at Frisk right now! And Chara actually knows she's crazy! I don't know what the cannon time between Chara dying and Frisk falling into the Underground is, if there even is one, so I made that up. If you guys know, feel free to tell me. Anyways, Review Time!**

 **Dragonjek: True, according to the cannon, almost everything was falsehoods. But, I hate the story Chara had in the game, so I made one up for her. I din't like that she poisoned herself, or whatever the game said she did to kill herself, so a monster poisoned her, she died, and she hates both monsters and humans now. Or, at least, that's the basics. She's left out a few details because she has secrets she doesn't want Frisk to know. And, I didn't realize that Shyren's Cousin was an amalgamate. Oops, I'll probably change that to Undyne's dad or something. As for the amalgamates, well, let's just say that Chara, while a ghost, hasn't been everywhere in the Underground, and Frisk has kept a lot of things under wraps around Chara. Chara killed the poor monster by pushing a rock onto her head. Ghosts can affect their environment, but can't talk to the living. Only humans can see ghosts, with two exceptions: Other ghosts (corporeal or not) and Alphys, who learned from the sorta-dead amalgamates. Anyways, Chara pushed the rock onto the monster, killing them. But, since she technically had no direct effect on the monster's death (they died from the environment, technically) she didn't gain any LV. She's using Frisk to gain LV, as that's the only way she gets more power.**

 **Anyways, thanks again for reading this, and have a great day (or night, whichever)!**


	10. Chapter 18

**A/N: Alright, right off the bat, there's a few thing I have to say. First, I was heavily inspired by Possession!Sans. When you read this, you'll know why. Also, don't be surprised if the irregular updates like this keep happening. It takes time to write things like this, especially if you're lacking inspiration at times. Finally, the usual disclaimer of "I don't own Undertale" applies. Anyhow, let's get into it! I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Frisk walked through the Hotlands with no trouble. Chara stayed silent, for the most part. She occasionally fidgeted, her body language suggesting at how restless she was. Frisk ignored Chara's restlessness, focusing on the task at hand.

Frisk spared nearly every monster in the Hotlands, to make up for all the lives Chara stole in Waterfall. The only monster she didn't spare was Muffet. The spider was too excited at the prospect of eating Frisk to be bothered with trivialities like the girl sparing her.

Finally, after a long walk through the ever-changing Core, Frisk stood in front of the rectangular box known as Mettaton. She knew his weakness perfectly well by now, and turned him into Mettaton EX almost effortlessly. After that, she said only two words to the fabulous machine. "Dance fight," she said. Mettaton's metallic face lit up, and he nodded excitedly.

"Why, that's a marvelous idea, darling! Let's get this show rolling, shall we?" He spun, his long legs shining in the light. Upbeat music played from a speaker set into his chest, below the heart-shaped battery. He bowed dramatically, and the battle began.

Frisk played along, dancing confidently to the beat. Chara mentally sneered at her dance moves. **You may have mercy down flat, but dancing? Sis, you better climb right back to wherever you came from, because you're that big an embarrassment on the dance floor.** Her red eyes blazed with amusement as Frisk's face reddened in shame.

Mettaton, at least, was enjoying the show. He spun and leapt, dancing like a madman as he tried his best to defeat the child that whirled and twisted with him. His electronic eyes were lit brightly with enthusiasm as the music blared from his chest.

"Darling, you may be a child, but I don't grade on a curve. No-one in the Underground can beat me on the dance floor," he boasted as he performed a twirling kick towards the girl's stomach. Frisk dodged, posing dramatically in front of the camera. Ratings skyrocketed.

Eventually, however, all shows must come to an end. As Frisk stood there, panting, Mettaton's batteries died, and the sparkling lights faded from his eyes. Frisk's face screwed up as she realized that she probably wouldn't see him again in this timeline. She heard the door behind her open, and a gasp brought her out of her thoughts. She stood up, stepping back as Alphys scrutinized her creating worriedly.

"Thank God that it's just the batteries. I think I still have some back at the lab, but I'm not sure." She looked torn as she saw the distant look in Frisk's eyes. She laid Mettaton's chest piece carefully on the floor, and stood back up hesitantly. "But, uh, I can see you to the elevator before I get the replacement batteries." When she saw Frisk's eyebrows rise, she added, "Well, it's not far, and he's not going anywhere, so why not? You look like you could use the company, after whatever happened in here. Er, that is, if you want me, to, uh, accompany you. If you don't want that, that's fine. I have a lot of things I need to work on in the lab, and—"

Frisk cut her off. "That's okay. You can come." She turned, and they set off down the short hallway to the elevator. Just as they got there, however, Chara made her move.

She bent the bars of her mental cage, and stepped out, taking control over Frisk's body. Frisk watched in horror as Chara slowed to a stop, her glittering eyes on Alphys. The scientist, feeling the heat of Chara's gaze, looked over. "Is something wrong? You didn't drop anything, did you?" Her hands wrung as she gazed worriedly at Chara.

Chara smiled a slow, predatory smile. Alphys's eyes widened in terror as Chara slowly and purposefully took out her dagger, the light glinting off its worn steel blade. She silently pointed the knife directly at the scientist's heart.

Frisk, realizing what Chara was about to do, she desperately tried to wrench control away. She mentally wrestled Chara back into her cage, straightening the bars and making them twice as thick and rigid as before. Her hands trembled as she hurriedly sheathed her dagger, panic and shock in her brown eyes.

Alphys remained stock-still, terror freezing her in place. After checking to see that both herself and the scientist were unharmed, Frisk turned and ran into the elevator, punching the up button. The doors slid closed, and Frisk slid down to the floor, her body shaking. She mentally turned on the demon inside her, her mentally green eyes blazing with livid fury.

 _What was that?! You almost killed her, Chara! She's just a scientist, there's no reason to hurt her! For once, I thought you'd let me have peace, but you had to wreck everybody's day, didn't you?! You're a heartless demon that possessed me without my permission. You are mean, cruel, manipulative, crazy, and evil. You should be dead and gone! Everyone would've benefitted from that!_ Frisk breathed in, her hands balling up into fists. _Well? What have you to say for yourself, demon?_

Chara yawned, examining her nails. **I told you, sis. I would let you have your turn, but I would play this game, too. Well, your turn was up. And, it's not just that anymore. Don't you feel that power within us? I didn't know what it was at first, but now I do. Don't you see? Just another kill, possibly two, and we may be able to use** _ **magic**_ **. Think about it, sis! The first humans to ever use magic naturally!** Frisk folded her arms, unimpressed.

 _I already use magic, Chara. What else would you call all the time warps we've made? All that Saving, Loading, and Resetting? That's magic. And what's with your obsession with power, anyway? It's unhealthy, Chara. It's making you kill people._

Chara shook her head vehemently. **No, don't you see? It's not your time powers I'm talking about. Soon, we might be able to do the stuff monsters can do! The things humans can't do without artifacts and such! Fire magic, summoning, throwing Souls around like toys… That's the kind of magic I'm talking about. With a little more power, with a few more kills, that magic could be ours.** Her voice was urgent, passionate. Frisk just shook her mental head.

 _I don't care. You're not pulling a stunt like that again, or our deal's off. I'd rather die than see innocent people suffer in the hands of a demon like you. I have been understanding up to now, but this is the last straw. No more taking control like that. I mean it, Chara._ Frisk turned mentally away, ending the conversation. Frisk felt muffled anger rolling out of Chara, but she ignored it, focusing on the opening doors of the elevator. She stood up, swallowing her emotions, and walked out into New Home.

After a relaxing evening spent in Asgore's guest bedroom, Frisk stood before the doors of Judgment Hall. She felt nervous. She had no idea what Sans would say, after all she'd done. She just had to hope that her skeletal friend would let her defend her actions before he murdered her in anger.

Chara faded from Frisk's mind, manifesting herself in the mortal plane. Frisk saw that her form was slightly less hazy, slightly more tangible. Her voice echoed in Frisk's mind as she leaned against the wall, her bright eyes calm.

 **Don't worry, sis. He's always been a softie. Although, you did kill his brother a lot of times by now… He probably doesn't trust you anymore.** She giggled silently. Frisk folded her arms, scowling. **Ah, don't look so upset, sis! Just think about the future. Won't it be nice to have power not unlike the comedian? His fight will be much easier next time. And, I know his patterns, now, so that'll work in our favor as well.**

Frisk shook her head. _I won't let you hurt him again. I won't see his dust again. I promised him that he'd be avenged. I won't let you take him away from this world. Not again._ Her brown eyes shone with a familiar power. Frisk was filled with Determination. Chara scowled at her, but said nothing more, fading back into her mental cage as Frisk stepped into the Judgment Hall.

There was a Save Star right across from the doors. Frisk looked around furtively. Sans was nowhere to be seen, although Frisk felt as though she was being watched. She clutched the Star, anchoring herself to this point in both time and space. She then turned and walked hesitantly down the Hall, her footsteps echoing throughout the corridor.

Suddenly, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, making Frisk jump. She turned her eyes to the skeletal Judge, whose eyes were dark and deadly.

" **So. We meet again, demon. I've noticed that you've been busy. Not as busy as last time, but busy enough, to be sure. You dirty brother killer."** His voice was soft and low, a predatory purr, not unlike Chara's, only lower in pitch and much more masculine. He snapped a few bones into existence.

Frisk's eyes widened in horror. "Wait!" she cried. "I can explain! Just… Just put the bones down, and listen to me. You're the Judge, you're supposed to listen, right?" Her voice trembled in fear as her brown eyes fixed on Sans's dark sockets.

Sans hesitated, and the bones snapped out of existence. "Talk, demon," he said, his eyes glowing white but no less serious. He folded his arms, waiting.

Frisk wrung her hands. What could she say? If she told the truth, he'd think her crazy, or worse. But he deserved at least _something_ , right? Besides, she hated lying. "Well, uh. First, the last time we stood here. I think you remember that, right?" Sans nodded, silent. "I had a feeling you might. Well, you see, that wasn't me. I would never do something like that. I'm not heartless, after all." _Not like you, Chara._ Chara scoffed, but maintained her silence.

"…You want me to believe that? If it wasn't you, who is it? Don't tell me—You have a twin sister who looks exactly like you and sounds exactly like you." His voice was bitter, sarcastic. Frisk frowned. She didn't like this new Sans.

"No, that's not it at all. It's… complicated. And I can't really explain it. Best case, you wouldn't believe me. Worst case, you do. And either way, I get punished by… someone." She didn't want Chara to destroy her, after all. She was the only hope this world had against a power-hungry demon like her, after all.

Sans scoffed. "So, that's your only excuse? What about my brother? You **killed** him. He's **dead** , because of you, **demon**." He trembled, livid. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just give you a bad time right now, over and over again until time stands still from boredom."

Frisk swallowed, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. "I-I know you hate me. I understand that, and I don't blame you. But just hear me out. I've been forced to go down a certain path, hurting those I love. I didn't want the last timeline to go the way it did. I was forced to do those things. That wasn't me, fighting you. I can't tell you who it was, but it wasn't me. The only time that was me was when you talked about remembering a time when we were friends. I said I was so sorry for all I had done, and that was so true. I gave you a hug, and you killed me. I didn't want to go back. I felt so guilty about what I had done. But I was forced to go back. I was forced to… to…" She couldn't finish the sentence. She shuddered at the memories.

Sans looked harrowed. He unfolded his arms, and his expression was one of weariness and worry. "I… I don't know if I can trust you, kid," he sighed. "You've done so many evil deeds, it's hard to keep track. I know there's something you're hiding, but I think you're hiding it out of fear. Tell you what. I wasn't going to give you another chance. You'd had plenty. But I can tell you've been through just as much as I have."

He put his hands in his pockets, and shrugged. "You've said a lot here. You've made my job so much harder, kid. I don't know whether to kill you or hug you." Frisk flinched, and San's look softened. "But, you should know me by now. I'm too lazy to kill you right now, actually. You kidding, I've been up for almost two days, tracking you down. I just wanna take a nap. I'll give you one last chance, Frisk. You mess it up, though, and I'm never letting you hear the end of it. You'd be stuck with an infinite loop of bad times. Trust me, I'm not joking this time. So don't mess it up." His eyes darkened, enforcing the point upon the young Frisk. She shivered despite herself.

Frisk nodded. "I understand. I know you don't trust me. I don't blame you; I've done so many bad things it would be harder to understand if you _did_ trust me. Thank you for giving me this chance; you won't regret it, I'm sure." She smiled feebly and hesitantly at Sans, who's only response was a grim nod before slipping back into the shadows.

In a blue flash, he was gone, and Frisk was left to her thoughts. Her legs were shaking unconsciously. She swallowed a sigh of relief. She wasn't out of the woods yet. _What's going to happen with Asgore?_ She wondered what Asgore's reaction would be as she slowly made her way to the other end of the corridor, her inner demon silent for the time being.

Finally, they came to the Throne Room. Frisk took a deep breath. She felt Chara twitch behind her, nervousness in her red eyes. Frisk gulped, hoping things would go well this time, and opened the door, closing it firmly behind her.

Asgore was waiting, his face patient and slightly nervous. He noticed Frisk in the doorway, and stood straighter, his eye blaring in the golden light. "Human," he greeted, his low voice welcoming but distant. "I've been told of your arrival. I trust you know what happens to all humans that fall down here? I am reluctant to harm a child, but it is my duty."

Frisk swallowed, and hesitantly stepped forward. Her voice shook, but it rang clearly throughout the room as she tried something new. "It doesn't have to be this way, Asgore. You don't need to kill me, in order to break the barrier. Let's find another way, together."

Asgore's eyes filled with forlorn sadness. "I'm sorry, child, but I see no other way. The Barrier will not break until all seven Souls have been collected. Yours is the last Soul we need. It is quite unfortunate, but it is the sad truth."

Frisk shook her head, while Chara leaned forwards, intrigued despite herself. "No, this isn't the only way! Humans and monsters have a bad history between them, I get that. But you needn't go to war against a species that doesn't even know you exist anymore. Please, have mercy, Asgore. I know you have it in you. Have mercy, and do the right thing. I think… I think your children would want that. Both of them."

Chara's eyes widened. **Are you doing what I think you're doing?** Frisk mentally nodded, her eyes on Asgore. **That's crazy! Don't you miss the surface, just like the monsters seem to?** Frisk mentally frowned, but stayed silent. Asgore broke the mental conversation.

"I… Perhaps you are right. I cannot condone the death of a child, especially one not unlike my Chara. You would get along well with her, I'm sure." His eyes crinkled as he thought of the happy days when his adoptive daughter played in the Royal gardens with his son. "She was just as headstrong as you are."

Just then, vines started sprouting out of the ground. Asgore cried out in shock as a bundle of them took a hold of him, squeezing him carefully. Frisk gasped, and lunged for Asgore, intending to free him. But more vines blocked her path, swatting her against the wall like an annoying fly. Yet more vines poked out of the ground, creating a cage around the monster king.

Flowey's golden head sprouted out of the ground. "Howdy again, human! Missed me?" He giggled psychotically. Frisk pulled herself to her feet, a cut running along her cheek. Her brown eyes narrowed at Flowey.

"Flowey! Why would you do something like this, to… to the king, of all monsters?" She stumbled over her words, thinking carefully.

Flowey chuckled. "Don't you remember, you idiot? I told you, I'm sick of our games. So I'm making a new one. Did you like the message I sent you through the robot?"

Chara's eyes widened. **That was** _ **him**_ **? But, how does he know about me? He's just a harmless, annoying weed!** Frisk ignored her, shifting into a defensive stance.

"Let Asgore go, Flowey. This is between you and me, and has nothing to do with the king. As for the message, why did you think I'd know that one?"

Flowey gave a dark giggle, his petals growing slightly darker. Asgore's eyes were wide with fear and confusion, and he struggled to breath under the constricting hold Flowey had on him. "I know more than you think about your situation, Frisk," Flowey whispered creepily. "But, of course, we're getting off topic. Now, I am tired of getting killed and forgotten timeline after timeline. So, I'm trying something different."

As he spoke, a tendril of vine curled upward from the ground. "A Boss Monster's Soul survives for a few moments after death, doesn't it? Long enough for an innocent flower to take it. After all, I've been an empty vessel for far too long." With that, the vine pierced Asgore's chest, and the king gasped as his form started to crumble into millions of particles.

Frisk yelled, launching herself at the bright Soul that burst into the world from the dying monster's chest. Laughing, Flowey swatted Frisk back, and held her still under a blanket of thorny vines as he absorbed the King's Soul.

Frisk bit her lip as pain burst through her chest, the thorns cutting her clothes to shreds. Chara's face was grim, and she looked like she was about to say something. But before then, there was a blinding light, and Frisk and Chara lost their vision for a moment.

When the girls got their vision back, they were greeted by a terrifying sight. Asgore's body was walking towards Frisk, trident swirling through the air. But tendrils of vines snaked around the monster's massive body, and Flowey's face smiled down on the terrified child from the king's shoulders.

Chara took over, as Frisk's Soul locked in terror. She shrugged off the vines, which were slack from the transformation. She hurriedly stood, backing up while unsheathing her dagger. Her eyes gleamed in the light, elated for a fresh new battle. Perhaps after this fight she would have the power necessary to wield magic.

Flowey threw the trident at Chara. Chara dodged to the side, and slashed out with an uppercut. Flowey slid to avoid the knife, but one of the vines was cut. The vine fell to the floor, turning to dust as it landed. **That's it, then. Go for the plant bits, ignore Father.** Chara's eyes gleamed as she formed this vague battle plan, and side-stepped the trident as it flew back into its owner's outstretched hand.

Flowey smiled a sick smile. "You may have your knife, but I have many, many more tricks up my sleeve than you could ever think of, my friend!" He threw his hand out, and hot, bright fireballs flew towards the human.

Chara took a step back, and felt the wall behind her. No more retreating. She sidestepped the flames, ducking as needed. She smiled back at the creepy flower, her eyes shining in the light.

" **What makes you say that? Besides, even with all your tricks, you can't possibly think you have even a remote chance of touching me, weed. Face it; I'm too strong for you, even on your best day."** She slashed out with her knife, aiming for the flower's head. Asgore stepped back, protecting the flower from Chara's deadly dagger.

Flowey laughed softly, a purr to his chuckle. He summoned more fire, the flames bursting to life out of nowhere. "My, but that's where you're so wrong. You see, even with but one monster Soul, I am so much more than what I was. No, I don't need to touch you, my friend. I just need to kill you." He threw the fire at Chara, the flames bright and deadly.

Chara ducked, weaving past the flames as she picked her way towards her opponent. Her eyes blazed brightly with elation as she realized that this was a good fight. Some challenge, sure, but there was no way she could lose this fight. She jumped up, aiming for one of the higher vines that encircled the dead king's chest.

Frisk watched this in morbid horror. She tried to look into the king's eyes, hoping for a glimmer of… anything, really. But she just got more traumatized. For, where Asgore's eyes had been, there was nothing more than sockets, empty and dark. A black, thick liquid poured out from the eyes, and a little of that black stuff was dripping from the corners of his lifeless mouth. Frisk's mental eyes widened, and she gulped, a soft, terrified whimper on her internal lips. Chara ignored her sister at the moment, her focus on the fight.

Flowey was laughing at Chara's pitiful attempts to kill him. Sure, he was losing a little power with every vine she destroyed, but the king's Soul gave him enough that he didn't need to worry, for the time being. He batted her knife to the side as she tried for a second attempt at his face, and punched her, feeling something crunch underneath his furry hands. Chara fell back, putting the hand holding the knife against the wall to steady herself. She cupped a hand to her nose, and when she pulled it back, blood was seeping from her nostrils.

Chara felt a flaming fury sweep through her. She glared daggers at the annoying weed, and held her dagger tightly. She dove at his knees, intending to stab him in the weak spot that was his kneecaps. Flowey simply walked backwards a step or two, and Chara fell short, stumbling and losing her balance. She fell onto her back, and looked up at the abomination in front of her as it closed in, Flowey's expression one of sick triumph.

Char shrieked as she felt the trident fork her leg, agony ripping through both the girls' Souls. Frisk gasped, her emerald eyes glittering with tears of pain. Chara felt as though her leg was on fire.

But she needed to work through the pain, or die. She gritted her teeth, her blazing eyes bright with pain and her hair flying wildly about her face. She felt her knife, hot and comforting in her hand. She didn't think, but just acted. She threw her knife at the smiling head of the weed, hoping against hope that it would find its target.

Somehow, it did, and the abomination reeled back, pain and shock in Flowey's eyes. Frisk was certain she saw a flicker of peace on Asgore's face as the terrifying abomination turned to dust in front of them. Chara sat there, panting for a moment, adjusting to the sudden victory.

But she wasn't inactive for long. While Frisk still reeled from the shock, Chara stood up slowly, pain screwing up her expression. She limped to the pile of dust, and tugged her knife out. She then staggered over to the back of the room, where she collapsed on the floor, her skin as pale as snow.

She glanced about. Her wounds needed treatment, before she bled to death. There—Her mother's throne was dragged back, and a white sheet was thrown over it, so Asgore wouldn't be reminded of his wife every time he sat in the Throne Room. She grinned grimly. **That'll have to do.** She crawled over to the sheet, and, using her dagger, she began to tear strips off, binding her wounds.

Frisk swallowed, gaining enough courage to speak at last. _What… what_ _ **was**_ _that?!_ Chara didn't deviate from her work, but she answered her sister's question. **That was what happens when a weed gets too arrogant and tries absorbing a monster's Soul. Dangerous enough, but ultimately killable, as I just proved.**

Frisk shook her head, tears dripping down her face. _So… So Asgore's dead, then? I… I didn't want that! I wanted… I wanted him to live, to be happy, for once._ Chara scowled, her face darkening as she wrapped a strip of sheet onto her leg, which was bleeding profusely.

 **I'm sorry, sis, but there's no helping it. Father can never get a happy ending in this story, I'm afraid. I still love the guy, but his story will always be an unfinished, unhappy one. And my story ended three and a half centuries ago. I just have the pleasure of an epilogue, while the old man only gets the last chapter.**

Frisk thought of something. _Wait! You're a ghost, right? So, does that mean that Asgore can be a ghost, too?_ She felt hope glimmering in her chest, but Chara snuffed that hope out clinically.

 **I'm afraid not. Most monsters don't become ghosts unless they have unfinished business, humans almost never become ghosts, with an obvious exception, and Boss Monsters are not physically able to become ghosts. Because their Souls persist after death, if even for a few moments, they cannot get the epilogue that I have been enjoying thus far. They cannot become ghosts.**

Frisk pouted, but stayed silent as Chara finished her binding. Afterwards, Chara let her sister take control while she took a nap in her mental cage. After that close fight, she needed the rest. Both of them did.

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah... I suck at fight scenes, still. Anyways, Sans ain't at all happy with Frisk, but Frisk was so persuasive in her meltdown that he softened just enough to give her one last chance. Let's hope Chara doesn't wreck it. Flowey changed the game big-time at the end. And, for the rest of this timeline, Chara/Frisk's leg is gonna be screwed up. That trident can do a LOT of damage! Anyways, review time!**

 **Dragonjek: Yeah, Sans was MAD, but Frisk softened him up. But don't think that he'll give her another chance if she wrecks this one; He'll go on BAD TIME SIMULATOR for eternity. No, he wouldn't push her into the Core, mainly because he doesn't know that that's a option. Gaster died in a different way, but that's for another story, if I ever finish this one. As for Chara sacrificing herself... She wouldn't do that unless she really had to, and there would be only one person she'd do that for, and she believes he's dead and gone. I do like making villains who aren't wholly evil, it's their past that makes them do bad things. In this case, being killed (twice!) and becoming a ghost against her will made Chara crazy, but the little girl in her still tries to shine through. Also, Sans wasn't the one to change Mettaton's question- Flowey did. Sans was too intent with the Judgment Hall to even _think_ of Mettaton.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys like this! I'm trying to come up with the lore as I go, and it's a little difficult. I'm trying to stick to the original game, but that might have been thrown out the window by now with all the new lore (not cannon, by the way) that I've added. If you have any ideas or advice, let me know, as your feedback is really important to me. Have a great day/night, and I'll try to write the next chapter sooner!**


	11. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but, you know... Writers' Block. It happens, sometimes. Anyways, this was a pain to write, so I hope you enjoy it. Usual disclaimers apply here. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Nineteen

Frisk hid in the onyx room while the Underground searched high and low for the human that had murdered the King _and_ their Captain of the Royal Guard. Chara manifested outside of Frisk more and more as the months rolled by.

One day, Frisk was sitting on her cot, arguing with Chara. Chara wanted to go out and kill a couple more monsters, in the name of power, and Frisk was putting her foot down.

"I said _no_ , Chara! You may have died long ago, and you may feel as though you need to avenge your death, but the monsters aren't our enemy! They're the exact opposite, actually. They're my friends, and at least some of them were your friends too, a long time ago. After all, Asriel wasn't your only friend down here, right?"

Chara folded her arms. **"And what do you know, sis? Three centuries is a long time, and many monsters have died since then. Besides, I was… not very social, when I was alive."** She looked away, not meeting Frisk's challenging gaze. **"But that's not the point. The point is that we're** _ **so**_ **close to having magic. That weed was strong, and his life-force made us almost strong enough to equal the monsters in their natural abilities. Just one more kill. That's all it'll take. Just one, and we'll be strong enough."**

Frisk wasn't buying it. "And then you'll want to kill another, to try out our powers. Then another, to make sure it's not a fluke. Then another, because we've killed so many by then that it doesn't matter if we kill a few more. It's like the one children's book, what was the name of it again? Anyways, the point is that you wouldn't stop killing if I gave you free reign. And I can't let that happen, not again. So, the answer is a big, fat _no_ , and you can' change my mind." She folded her arms, stubborn to the maximum.

Chara's face turned into a sly smile as she thought of something. **"Oh, is that what you think, sis? Well, killing's not the only way for me to take power. After all, Time stands still for no-one, but it'll gladly go backwards for a select few."**

Frisk's eyes widened as Chara faded from the mortal plane, going back into her mental cage. At the same time, Frisk felt her Time magic stir within her, and she mentally whirled on Chara, whose red eyes were blazing with mad excitement. _What are you doing?!_ Frisk yelled at Chara. _Stop it!_

Chara just chuckled darkly as the magic coursed through Frisk's veins, her skin starting to glow a golden color. **And why should I stop? After all, the next timeline is ours to shape. If you have the strength, I won't be able to gain power. If you don't, however, I'll take what's rightfully mine, and we'll have a grand old time.** On the last word, Frisk's power reached its climax, and Time Reset around them, taking them back to the very beginning.

Frisk woke up on the field of buttercups, like usual. She groaned and sat up, keeping a tight leash on Chara for the moment. _That was a big mistake._ She growled at Chara, her inner eyes green orbs of fury. _I'll make sure you never hurt_ _ **anyone**_ _in this Timeline, ever._ With that promise, she stood up shakily, and started for the next room, idly wondering what Flowey would say.

Flowey wasn't even in the room when Frisk entered. She called for him softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She never liked talking with her voice, but it was sometimes necessary. Flowey didn't respond to her calls, and Frisk reluctantly moved on, her brown eyes thoughtful.

In the next room, Frisk ran into Toriel—literally. She wasn't looking where she was going, paying more attention to her inner demon than the world around her, and she walked straight into the former Queen of the Underground. She stumbled back, an apology on her lips, and looked up, and her eyes widened in delight as she realized who she'd just met. Goat Mom was back, and was as motherly as ever.

With a few quiet words and a puppy-dog-eyed plea, Frisk got a motherly escort all the way to Toriel's home. There, she ate butterscotch pie with her Goat Mom before going to bed, giving a warning glance to Chara before climbing in. _No hurting the monsters in the Ruins. They have no way to defend themselves from us, and there is almost no way for them to send for outside help. Please, just be on your best behavior, Chara._ She then shut her eyes, and sleep overtook her within moments.

Chara was suspiciously good all week. She didn't even try to take over Frisk's body even once. Frisk kept her eye on Chara, but she soon softened to the ghostly child. Maybe she _was_ trying to be good, for once. Maybe she was trying to atone for all of her sins. Chara was mostly silent for the whole time they stayed in the Ruins.

Finally, Frisk felt ready to face the world. After a touching moment with Toriel, she stepped out into the purple hallway that led to Snowdin. Things were different this time, however. She had changed her clothes for a purple shirt, black pants, and a red jacket. Her shoes remained the same, but she had a brown backpack on her back, filled with useful things that might help her in this Timeline.

Her locket dangled from her neck, filled with Frisk's power. Every morning within the Ruins, she had infused the locket with a little more of her magic, a little more of her Soul. Frisk didn't really know how or why she did it, just that it might be important later on. She had a weird feeling the locket was more than just a gesture between two friends.

Chara walked beside her, manifesting herself in the mortal plane. It seemed to be easier for her to do so than in the last Timeline, but that could've been Frisk's imagination. They were coming up on the room where Flowey usually taunted them, the final room in the Ruins.

Flowey was waiting for them. He addressed Frisk, but his eyes kept straying to a whirlwind of magical energy that was by the human's side. He felt a pang of familiarity when he glanced at the energy cloud, but that was ridiculous. He'd never seen something like that before; he would've remembered if he had.

"I'd say it's nice to meet you, but you know better than that. We're sworn enemies, you and I. I try to destroy you, and you always foil my plans and kill me instead. We've been playing this game for so long now, haven't we, human? Five timelines have passed, each lasting a year. Five years. That's a long time for humans, right? I wouldn't know. So, how about we make a truce, of sorts? You don't kill me, and I don't absorb whatever Soul or Souls that are available and try to destroy you. How's that sound?"

Frisk hesitated, but the energy cloud stirred, turning slightly and blowing at Frisk. Her hair fluttered in a breeze that Flowey couldn't feel, and her eyes widened. Her lips thinned, and she glared at Flowey as though he were a demon. _Not far off the mark, actually,_ Flowey thought. _I'm not your typical flower, that's for sure._

Frisk shook her head, and spoke, her voice echoing throughout the chamber. "No, Flowey. We don't have a deal. You've lied to me so many times, I can't trust you. Prove to me that you can be trusted, and maybe we'll—I mean, _I'll_ reconsider your deal."

Flowey frowned. Something was going on. Maybe his sister was whispering to the human? That wouldn't be too surprising, considering her position. But, the energy cloud felt… off. As though it were a piece of the puzzle that Flowey couldn't solve. He inwardly shrugged. _I'll deal with it later. After all, I've got all the time in the world, he he he._

Flowey bowed, his stem bending in a fluid, supple motion. "Okay, then. See you later, human!" He uprooted, and disappeared into the ground, leaving no evidence that he was there in the first place.

Chara rolled her eyes at Frisk, who looked confused. _Okay…_ Frisk mouthed, glancing at Chara. "What was that all about?"

Chara shrugged. **"He was bluffing you, sis. He was trying to get you to let your guard down, so he could kill you. The thing is, he doesn't fully realize that, because we control time, we cannot be killed. Our powers have given us a sort of immortality, and that flower can do no more than annoy us."** Chara smiled, her lips drawing up in a creepy grimace. Frisk shook her head, and they moved on, into the cold embrace of Snowdin.

Frisk started to wring her hands as they approached the barred bridge. Chara, still manifested, offered a smile of encouragement. **"Come on, sis. If he's too cowardly to kill us in the Judgment Hall, he'll never even think to kill us in this frozen wasteland. Besides, we're immortal, so don't sweat over it."** Frisk gulped, shaking her head.

 _It's not that. He said he'd offer us one last chance. He wasn't kidding; if we ruin this, we're never going to see the end of it. And, well, you've had quite the history of violence, which is exactly the opposite of what Sans wants…_ Chara scoffed.

 **I've been good thus far, haven't I? Besides, I have the feeling that we're not going to need my skills for a while. Don't worry, sis. I'll protect us from harm, but I won't intervene too much in your self-righteous cause.** Frisk mentally inclined her head, grinning at Chara to show her gratitude.

Sans then jumped out of the forest in front of them, and Frisk jumped in surprise. He usually showed up behind them, but it seemed that he wanted a more hands-on approach this time. "Heya, kid," he greeted, his eyes white but wary. He glanced at Chara, confusion in his gaze, but he swiftly turned back to Frisk.

Frisk swallowed, nodding at Sans. "Hey, Sans. I hope you remember me?" She knew he remembered at least some things, but she didn't know the extent of said memory.

Sans smiled. "Uh, yeah. Hard not to, really, with all you've done." His eyes dimmed, but didn't fully darken. "I hope you've learned your lesson, human." His tone was serious, a warning in his throat.

Frisk paled, nodding. Sans nodded, relieved. "I hope so. 'Cause if you haven't, then, well… **you're gonna have an eternity of hell."** His eyes darkened fully, and a deadly smile came to his face.

Chara scoffed. **Yeah, why don't I believe that? Oh, yeah. Because we're soon going to be on the same magical level as that lazy comedian. And then** _ **he'll**_ **have a bad time.** Frisk frowned, but stayed silent.

Sans forged on, his expression serious. "But, uh, I'll give you one last chance, as I said. I don't remember everything that happened in the Hall last time, but I think you were having an existential crisis or something. Hey, I won't judge. **Much**. Just leave my bro out of all this stuff. He's too… Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Unless you _want_ to have a **bad time** , that is." He glared at Frisk, who shrank back from his untrusting gaze. She swallowed hard, nodding.

"I… Understand. You don't trust me yet, and I get that. I just hope you'll see the truth, without me having to explain it all. Because I honestly don't think I can explain it all yet. Hell, I don't even _know_ most of what's going on anymore, but I think you can relate to that. For now, though, let's get this part of our story out of the way so that my journey can continue." Her voice was soft, and it shook slightly, but Sans heard every word, his expression turning into reluctant approval as he stepped out of Frisk's way.

The rest of Snowdin went without incident, and soon Frisk was facing off against the Great Papyrus. Chara had gotten restless half-way through Snowdin, so the pair had to stop and kill a couple innocent Icecaps and Gyftrot. They left Snowdrake alone. Frisk was afraid that if she fought Papyrus while Chara was out for blood that the demon would rise up and take over, dusting the poor skeleton in the process.

But, all too soon, Frisk was face-to-face with Sans's brother. She locked Chara back up in her mind, and prepared for a long fight ahead of her. She spread her hands at the skeleton after the fight began. "I'm not fighting you, Papyrus," she called. The skeleton paused.

"So, you won't fight? Then, let's see if you can't handle my fabled _BLUE ATTACK_! Nyeh, he he!" He started throwing blue bones at Frisk, who stood stock-still. The bones went right through her, and she felt a weight as a blue aura surrounded her. "You're blue now! That's my attack!"

Chara rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of this whole scene. Frisk mentally smirked at her. _And we haven't even gotten to the crazy part yet, have we?_ She smiled to herself, remembering just how crazy this fight could get. Chara scoffed at Frisk's thoughts.

 **He's almost as crazy in his attack patterns as his brother, I'll give him that. But he's much weaker, in terms of sheer power goes. It doesn't make any sense, though. After all, the comedian has only a base stat of 1, while his brother seems to have four times that.** Frisk left her demon to ponder that conundrum while she tried to dodge Papyrus's bone attacks.

She shook her head at Papyrus. "You may do what you like to me. Turn me blue if you want, throw hundreds of bones at me if you wish. But there is one thing you can't do to me, Papyrus. You can't make me fight you. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, I won't hurt you. So come on, show me what you've got. I can take it, trust me."

Papyrus seemed taken aback by the rush of strength that flooded from Frisk as she spared him again. "Human, I don't intend to hurt you," he called. "I don't even care if you fight back. I just wish to capture you, that's all. Then, Undyne will finally see my potential, and I'll become everything I've ever dreamed. I'll be a member of the Royal Guard, and I'll have friends at my beck and call!" His eyes glazed over as he dreamed of his lifetime wish coming true. His gaze snapped back to Frisk, who stood in a defensive stance, ready for the next volley of bones. "And it all starts with you, human!"

Frisk stepped over a line of bones that rose steadily from the ground. The bones grew in size and number, however, and soon Frisk was forced to jump to clear the tops of the projectiles. Then, Papyrus paused, readying his next attack. Frisk strode forward, eyes narrowed in Determination.

"Stop this madness, Papyrus! Stop trying to capture me, and listen to what I'm trying to tell you! You don't need to capture me to have friends. You have one in Undyne, don't you? And Sans, your brother, he's your best friend forever. You already have friends, Papyrus. Capturing me won't help anything."

Papyrus hesitated, before shaking his head. "My brother told me quite a bit about humans, as did Undyne. They say things they don't mean, in order to get their way. They're not honest, sometimes. I can tell that you're hiding something from me, human. The Great Papyrus always knows when someone's hiding something! So, I'm afraid I don't trust you, human. Prove to me that you're honest, and I'll stop this battle. Until then, we continue our little fight." He threw bones at her, his stormier than before.

Frisk ducked, furrowing her brow in thought. Then she waved her arm for Papyrus to stop fighting. "Wait, please. Look, I get that you don't trust me. I'm a human; we're looked down on by your kind. I get that, I really do. But trust me; hurting me, capturing me, that's not the answer, Papyrus. No, the answer lies in mercy. Please, Papyrus, have mercy on me. Stop this fight, and we can all come away happy. Stop this violence, and maybe… Well, it'd be much easier, then, for me to be your friend."

Papyrus stiffened, mid-attack. The bones snapped out of existence, and Frisk watched as the blue aura around her faded. His eye sockets were wide, hopeful. "You'd be my… friend? Truly?" Hope was dripping from his words. Frisk nodded. "Wowie! I never thought that making friends would be as easy as giving them difficult puzzles and then fighting them until they begged to be friends with me! The Great Papyrus gladly accepts your offer of friendship!"

Frisk smiled, while inside Chara clapped slowly. **Congratulations. You just befriended the most gullible and naïve monster in the whole Underground.** Frisk ignored her inner demon, focusing on her new friend, and hoping that this timeline would be much, much better than the last.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that was difficult to write. I swear, action sequences are my biggest weakness... Anyways, Chara's so close to her short-term goal! Wonder what Sans is going to say when he finds out that the human can use magic, too? Or Flowey, for that matter... Anyways, time for reviews!**

 **Guest: There's two main reasons as to why Chara's evil. One is just because I wanted her to, because she makes for such a good villain. Two, she went crazy after she died. Or, well, after she died once, got absorbed into Asriel, died again, became a ghost, and thought that her adoptive brother died (permanently), too. That made her crazy, and now she wants revenge for all humanity and monster-kind has done to her and her brother. That's the basics as to why Chara's evil.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and have a great day/night!**


	12. Chapter 20

**A/N: Wow, it's been so long! I'm really, REALLY sorry for the absolutely LONG delay, but I've had a large lack of inspiration for the past... I don't even know how long. But, it's finally done! I think I'm going to update the summary to include a note that states: "irregular updates" because that's basically what's happening right now. Anyways, usual disclaimers apply, and let's jump right into the story!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Chara sighed, bored, as Frisk finally started heading into Waterfall, after hanging out with Papyrus. She manifested herself into the mortal plane, her footsteps making no sound as she effortlessly kept pace with her sister.

 **"So, sis. What's the plan for this damp, wet hole in this unearthly mountain? Please don't tell me that you're going to try to, ugh, befriend everyone** _ **here**_ **, too."** She pretended to gag at the mere thought. **"Seriously, when are we going to see some** _ **action**_ **, Frisk? I'm bored to tears after that pathetic performance in that skeleton's house."**

Frisk rolled her eyes, responding mentally as usual. _Don't worry, Chara. After I meet with an old friend of ours, we'll get to see some action real soon. After all, Undyne still has it out for any human that crosses our path, remember?_ Of course Chara remembered. That Undying fight would be stuck in her memory for a _long_ time to come.

She changed the subject. **"So, who's this friend of yours, sis? Not that comedian, I hope."** She felt Frisk hesitate. **"I knew it. Sis, at least befriend someone who has flesh on their bones and can't kill you with one hit while still being the laziest monster in the Underground. Ugh, that comedian is the laziest living thing in this world, I tell you. If it weren't for his brother, he'd probably hibernate thirteen months of the year."**

Frisk sighed. _He's a good guy, Chara. Just because you've never met him when you were alive doesn't mean that he's responsible for your death, or whatever you have against him. He's just looking out for his friends and family, something I bet you'd do if our roles were reversed and he was the one killing everybody on the Surface, including your only family._ Chara's mood darkened, and she snapped her head away from Frisk, in the mood to kill.

" **That's not your decision to make, Frisk. And I'm done arguing with you. Go ahead, be stupid, for all I care. I'm going to take a nap. Call me when the action picks up again."** She faded back into her mental cell, and reclined in the mental cot Frisk had installed for her. She let her ghostly mind wander as she faded into a light slumber.

Frisk shook her head at Chara's antics. She noticed that she was nearing Sans's station, and slowed her pace. She hoped her skeletal friend would be there, and that he'd be receptive to getting some food at Grillby's. She terribly needed to speak with him.

Sans was reclining in his Station when she strolled up. He was snoring lightly, evidently asleep. She hesitated, biting her lip. She didn't want to anger him, but she really _did_ need to talk with him. She gently took his shoulder, shaking him carefully. "Sans," she called softly. "Sans, wake up. I need to talk to you. _Sans_ …"

The skeleton groaned as he woke up. "Hmm? Ugh, kid, give me five more minutes, would ya? A skeleton needs his rest too, ya know?" He rubbed blearily at his eye sockets, which wore a sleepy white glow.

Frisk rolled her eyes. "Sure Sans, like you wouldn't just fall back asleep and then get yelled at by Undyne or Papyrus for sleeping on the job. I'm doing you a favor, here, trust me."

Sans snorted. "When'd you get so smart, kid? Oh, right, when you hurt people the last time." His eyes sharpened into focus, dimming but not quite turning full-on black. "You'd better not try any funny business like that again, kid. I'm serious."

Frisk nodded dutifully. "I hear you. Listen, before I go on with my journey, there's something I want to talk with you about. Want to get a bite at Grillby's?" She knew for a fact that Sans couldn't turn down an offer of food. _It's against his religion or something_. She mentally rolled her eyes. _Or it could just be because he's a guy. Guys devour_ _ **everything**_ _._

Sans yawned, then stood up, walking around the counter. "Sure, kid. I'm always up for Grillby's. And, besides, I know a shortcut." He winked, and Frisk smiled. She felt much more at ease with this laid-back Sans than the deadly one in the Judgment Hall.

And so they warped to Grillby's, the first time in ages. Sans took his seat at the bar, and Frisk tentatively sat down beside him. Sans smirked at Frisk's hesitant posture. "Settle down there, kid. Sure, it's been a while, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time, can we?" He waved down the flaming man who stood cleaning a glass. "Hey, Grillbz! How 'bout some fries? Just put it on my tab." Grillby rolled his eyes with a long-suffering groan, and went into the back to grab the fries. Sans turned to Frisk, who felt awkward at returning to this friendship this quickly.

"So, you said you had something to tell me? I'm guessing it's important, if you'd wake me up like that." His eyes were glowing white, but had a quiet seriousness to them, and a clarity that scared Frisk. "So, what is it?"

Frisk wrung her hands, unaware that the usual hubbub of Grillby's patrons had come to a sudden halt behind her. "Well, um. Firstly, I want to thank you. For giving me a chance to prove myself. I understand that you don't trust me—I don't really trust myself anymore, either. Which brings me to my second point. I also came here to warn you, Sans."

Sans frowned, his eyes becoming deadly serious. "Warn me about what, kiddo? Is there something you're not telling me?" Frisk gulped, as he'd unintentionally jumped right to the heart of the issue. She avoided his searching gaze, staring at her small, pale hands.

"In a way, yes. I'm here to warn you, Sans, about… something. Something's got it out for you, Sans. I can't tell you exactly what it is, except that it's your unofficial archenemy. That something is out of my control, and it… It wants to kill you, Sans. It wants to destroy you, permanently. I'm trying to stop it, to hold it off, but there's only so much I can do. So… if something bad happens, then please, Sans. Don't do anything… stupid. Just… just be careful, alright? I promised—"

Frisk interrupted herself. She couldn't let anyone know about her promise, least of all Sans. _He might not even remember that. I don't want to remind him, if at all possible._ She forced a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "Um, I should go. But, um, thanks for talking with me, like this. I needed to get that off my chest." She slid off her stool, the dull roar of Grillby's flowing around her. She turned to say goodbye to Sans, but he was already gone, having disappeared into the shadows. She shrugged, heading for the door, her mind swimming with worry.

Frisk shuffled through the freezing snow until she came to the entrance to Waterfall. She mentally looked over her shoulder at Chara. She was still sound asleep, her blazing red eyes closed peacefully. Frisk let out a relieved breath. Sure, she didn't like going behind Chara's back like that, but she just _knew_ that Chara wouldn't like it _at all_ if she'd been awake for that whole conversation. If it prevented her friends from being killed, Frisk would do whatever was necessary. If that meant stealing behind Chara's back while she was asleep, then so be it.

Chara yawned, sitting up in her cot and rubbing her eyes sleepily. **What did I miss, sis?** She noticed that they were in Waterfall, nearing the portion of grass where they would meet that fish lady for the "first time". **I hope I didn't miss any action?**

Frisk seemed preoccupied, but then again, she _was_ running the body, which was no easy task at the best of times. _Huh? Oh, you're awake. No, there wasn't any action that you missed. Just a meeting with an old friend. But don't worry; there wasn't anything there that you would've found interesting._

Chara narrowed her eyes. Something about Frisk was off, different somehow. She listened in on Frisk's thoughts, casually leaning against the mental cage that held her. There wasn't much; Chara's sister was very careful with her thoughts when she was around. But, there was a slip, a gap in her protective shell. Was that… the comedian, smiling at Frisk as though they were friends, even with all that's happened? She quickly schooled her expression into one of cool indifference and slight boredom.

 **So… are we gonna meet with the fish lady, or are we just gonna stand around for an age or two? Because I've already been there, done that, and it's not fun, trust me.** Frisk rolled her eyes and carried on, hiding in the tall grass that swayed slightly in the breeze.

After meeting with Undyne, and almost getting killed multiple times, Frisk and Chara came to the rocky bluff that was Undyne's fighting grounds. The Captain of the Royal Guard gave Frisk a warning, and Frisk hesitated before moving forward, Saving at a Save Star.

Chara had a plan as to how they could beat the tough fish lady. **Let me take control for a minute, and fight her. Let me just roughen her up a bit, get her HP low. Then, when she's near death, I'll let you take over, and you can spare the fish if you want. This way, I get my action, and you get your mercy.**

Frisk hesitated. _You promise you won't kill her? Because she's really nice and a loyal friend when you get to know her. I think you'd like her, if you just tried to be friendly for once._

Chara nodded, rolling her eyes. **Yeah, yeah, whatever. I promise. Just let me have my fun, alright?** Frisk mentally nodded, and let go, letting Chara take control. Chara unsheathed her blade and stepped forward, a confident smile growing across her lips.

Chara took a deep breath, and then called out to Undyne, **"Fish, I know you can hear me. I'm not one for words, so let's just fight already, instead of trading long speeches."** She grinned as Undyne hollered in joy from across the cavern.

"Yeah, I'm not one for speeches, either. Let's fight!" She summoned some spears, and hurled one over to Chara. "Here, use this to defend yourself. It doesn't look like you have any other weapons, anyways, so fight with honor, and I'll take your Soul when you die." She hurriedly added that last part, loosening her muscles as Chara catched the spear and twirled it through the air.

Chara nodded, and decided to let Undyne start the fight, tapping the spear on her leg as she waited for the fish to make her move. Undyne sent out a volley of relatively slow spears, letting Chara melt into the action slowly with this first basic attack. Chara easily dodged, a playful smile on her lips.

 **What an easy opponent. This won't take long, sis. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the show.** Chara launched herself at Undyne, who was about thirty yards away. Chara ran about ten yards, then hurled herself into the air in a giant leap that surprised Frisk. Mid-jump, Chara lashed out with the spear, and Undyne fell back, parrying the attack with her own spear.

Undyne jabbed at Chara, who slipped to the side, her eyes glinting in the dark blue light. Chara slashed out with the knife that she held, hidden, in her off-hand, but the reach was too short, and Undyne batted the dagger out of Chara's hands almost effortlessly.

The knife landed a short distance away, and Chara's eyes hesitated on the hilt for a moment too long. Undyne impaled Chara on her glowing spear, her yellow eye glittering with triumph. Chara gasped as agony tore through her, and tasted blood as her vision blackened. She fell back into the Void, feeling empty and annoyed. She cursed violently before digging her hands into the Star, bringing herself and Frisk back to the brink of the fight.

Chara wasted no time, flinging herself across the room towards Undyne before the fish had time to utter a single word. Chara slashed out with the knife, but it was deflected off the fish's armor, and Chara growled in frustration as she was forced to dodge Undyne's counter-attack.

Undyne jabbed out with the spear, but Chara grabbed hold and pulled, and the two became locked in a tug-of-war battle for the spear. Undyne won, and kicked Chara in the ribs, sending the demon child rolling down the short incline that they battled on. Chara surged to her feet, rubbing her bruised ribs, and stumbled toward Undyne, lashing out with her knife.

The blow connects, with a bit of force, on a weak spot in the armor, and the fish stumbled back, surprise on her face. The shock quickly faded, however, and was rapidly replaced with a fury that intimidated Frisk, who mentally shrank away from the yellow rage that surged from the fish's eye.

Undyne sprang forward, hampered slightly from her wound, and reached out, grabbing Chara by the throat. Chara, startled and slightly panicked, stabbed Undyne's hand with her knife. The fish recoiled, screaming in a fresh wave of agony as Chara ripped her knife out, severing almost a third of the fish's right hand in the process.

Chara wasn't finished yet, though. She advanced on the howling fish, and shoved her back. Undyne, caught off-guard, falls to the ground. Swiftly, Chara puts the dagger to Undyne's throat, ending the fight as the fish stiffened in fear. Both combatants were panting, and flakes of dust fell from Undyne's wounds.

Undyne took a deep breath. "You're stronger… than I thought, human." She glanced at the knife. "I… suppose that you're free to go, then. It's… not as if I can stop you, now. I promise… I promise that neither my Guards nor I will attack you again."

Chara smiled, a cruel, terrifying smile. **"Ah, you are right, fish. But in the wrong way. After all, what makes you think I'd let you live, after all that's transpired? No, you're too much of a threat. I can't let you live, for my own sake."** Her eyes hardened, and the knife flashed. One moment, the Royal Captain was looking up at Chara in terror, and the next she was just a pile of dust on the deep blue floor.

Chara strode past Undyne's dust, sparing not a glance for the fallen Captain. She marched quickly to the entrance of the Hotlands, and kept going, despite Frisk's vehement protests.

 _What was that?! You promised not to kill her, you promised! I thought… I thought you were going to be good, for once, that you'd finally learned your lesson. I guess I was wrong._ Frisk's tone was disappointed and angry, but resigned. _Sans was right to call you a demon. You're nothing but pure, unrestricted evil._

Chara slowed, but didn't stop. She hated the Hotlands with a passion, but she wasn't about to relinquish control just yet. There was something she wanted to do. **Don't be stupid, sis. I was just protecting us. She'd have just followed us and fought us when we least expected it, or make one of her minions do it for her. She's strong, and although I wounded her greatly, she's not the type of monster who'd give up at any point. Especially if she knew what I plan on doing next. So shut up about me killing her. As to me being evil… I'm not, really. I'm just avenging my death, and the death of my best friend. Is that such a bad thing? And, I'm about to make us super powerful, and give us an edge in any fight. That's definitely not evil.**

Frisk crossed her arms, her mentally green eyes glaring at Chara. _You cut off her hand! She's not stupid; she knew you were stronger than her. She actually told you that! And she promised that she wouldn't attack us again, and she never, ever goes back on her promises. Trust me; I know her way better than you do, Chara. And I don't care what you say, you're still evil and insane, and I can't let you keep on killing like this! It's not right, and I have to put a stop to this, for my sake and the sake of all of my friends._

She stepped forward, and felt as though she was filled with Determination. She narrowed her eyes in stubbornness. _I'm afraid I'll have to take control now, and keep you from killing any more of my friends._ She tried to wrestle control over her body from her inner demon.

Chara turned on her, her eyes glowing red in the dark confines of Frisk's head. **Oh, you think so, do you, sister? Ha, you've no idea what you've gotten yourself into. You made a deal, Frisk. You let me have my fun, and I swore I wouldn't destroy you. Now, whether you want to or not, you must keep your promise. And I have a few plans that I have yet to initiate. Don't worry; you're not going to get hurt. In fact, if my theory holds true, we should both gain strength from this next exercise.** She cackled softly, and Frisk shuddered slightly, her eyes widening in fear.

 _Wait, you're not going to… hurt anyone, are you?_ Chara turned away, suspiciously silent. Frisk didn't need to read her demon's mind to figure out the answer. _Chara, you know I have to stop you! I must protect my friends! Wouldn't you feel the same, if it was Asriel's life on the line?_ Chara stiffened, and Frisk's blood ran cold as she realized her mistake.

Chara slowly turned to face Frisk, her face full of a cold fury. **You have no right to bring my brother, my best friend, into this conversation. Be glad that I have need of your abilities, or you'd be dead where you stand. You will not breathe a word from here to the scientist's lab. If you so much as utter a single sound, I shall destroy you and everyone you love. Understand?** Frisk nodded, frozen both body and mind in pure terror. **Good. Now, let's move on.** Chara strode forward, marching ever deeper into the bowels of the Hotlands.

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 **A/N: Dang, that took forever to write! Yeah, Frisk made a big mistake there at the end... But, Chara shouldn't underestimate Frisk, 'cause she's got some tricks up her sleeve that even Frisk doesn't know she has. Also, if you guys have any ideas on how to cure a bad case of writers' block, PLEASE let me know, because that's KILLING my story-writing right now! As always, have a great day or night, and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!**


	13. Chapter 21

**A/N: This chapter took on a life of its own, apparently. I don't really know what's going to happen from here on out, for right now at least. Once we get back into the plot, things'll pick up from there. For now, this chapter's a lot different from what I normally write, so hopefully it's better! Also, disclaimer: I don't own Undertale or any of the characters within it. Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

Chara arrived at Alphy's lab shortly, and marched in with silent confidence. She met the lizard, who seemed surprised to meet her. She raised her eyebrows at the scientist's flustered stuttering, but said not a word.

Then she met Mettaton. The robot decided that now would be a good time to introduce himself with a quiz show. Chara watched in dry silence as the metallic T.V. star told the girl what to do as the green answers shone on the floor. He started off with an easy question, and Alphys subtly revealed the correct answer. But Chara wasn't playing this game.

She crossed her arms and waited as the time ticked slowly down. Yawning, she glared at Mettaton. **"I will not play your games, robot. Go ahead and do what you will, but I will have no part in your stupid shenanigans."** Alphys gulped in fear as everyone—including Frisk—watched Mettaton's reaction.

Mettaton silently waited for the clock to run down on the question, and then raised his microphone. "OH, THAT'S TOO BAD! I ALMOST FEEL BAD FOR KILLING YOU, BUT SADLY I HAVE NO REMORSE. GOOD-BYE!" He turned his off-hand into a chainsaw and rolled forward, lowering the microphone.

The robot never had the chance to kill Chara. In a lightning-fast move, the girl unsheathed her knife and slid out of the way, dodging the incoming blow effortlessly. She slashed out with her dagger, but the blade rebounded off the ridiculously strong metal. Alphys, eyes wide, backed away as the two combatants circled each other, searching for any opening.

Mettaton lunged first, wheeling himself forward in a burst of speed. Chara danced to the side and slashed at the chainsaw, which caught on the knife. She withdrew the dagger, and the miniature machine rumbled and sparked, stuck. Mettaton quickly retracted the weapon, exchanging it for a machine gun, which he fired rapidly.

Going on the defensive, Chara hit the bullets out of the air with her dagger, dodging the ones she missed. Her body was a whirling, dancing, twisting whirlwind of death and destruction, and she was using everything she had to stay alive as Mettaton emptied magazine after magazine of bullets in vain. Alphys overturned a metal desk, using it as a shield as she watched the fight with wide, terrified eyes.

Then, Chara slipped, losing her balance. She quickly regained her footing, but her stumble cost her. A bullet was shot through her arm, and she screamed in agony as flames of pain shot through her arm. Her knife slipped from her fingers as she stumbled backwards, dodging the bullets desperately. Mettaton started firing his last magazine. Frisk watched, fear and shock keeping her frozen, as Chara whipped into action, her arm bleeding heavily.

Then, a bullet reached Chara's heart, and she stiffened. Both Frisk's and Chara's eyes widened, twin pools of shock. Chara slowly dipped her head, staring at the blood that blossomed across her chest. She glanced up at Mettaton, her eyes confused and unfocused. **"No,"** she muttered, her eyes flashing bright red for a moment, before fading back to a dull brown and rolling upwards. She swayed on her feet for a moment, and then fell back, darkness embracing her with open arms.

Frisk woke up with a searing pain in her chest. She gasped, opening her eyes. She hadn't expected to survive that gunshot, let alone regain control over her own body. She quickly analyzed her mind, searching for her inner demon. _There._ Chara rested on a dark cot, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. She seemed ill, but Frisk felt wary. What if this was a trick? Chara didn't even so much as twitch as Frisk mentally approached.

Meanwhile, in the mortal plane, Frisk scanned her surroundings. She was in a white bedroom, and her wounds had been tended to. She assumed that she was in Alphys' guest bedroom, although she never had imagined that the shy scientist actually _had_ a guest bedroom. _Maybe it's Mettaton's? No, it would be pink then._ She had no idea. She also noted that she was alone, although there was a nearby chair which suggested that someone had been tending her and watching over her while she slept. _Yeah… That's not creepy at all…._

Mentally, Frisk stopped inching forward. Chara hadn't moved an inch, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her normally pale skin seemed almost transparent, and her clothes were even more bloody than normal. Whatever was going on with Chara, Frisk had to assume that it wasn't good. She went back to her station, hoping that Chara would get better but, when she was well again, she wouldn't assume control once more. Frisk liked being able to control her own actions.

Frisk sat up, noting that her clothes had been changed while she'd been unconscious. She now wore a purple t-shirt and grey slacks. Her shoes were the same, though. Frisk hitched up her shirt, and saw a neat, white bandage surrounding her chest wound. Rolling her shirt back down, the girl then checked out her arm wound. It also had a clean bandage wrapped around it. She smiled, assured that her lizard friend still liked her enough to heal her and tend to her.

Speaking of Alphys, the bedroom door opened at that moment, and the scientist strolled in, carrying a notebook and some gel pens. Upon seeing Frisk, Alphys froze, her eyes widening. Frisk nodded her greetings, letting a small, encouraging smile slip across her face. Alphys smiled uncertainly back, setting her notebooks on the chair. She stood uncertainly for a moment, staring curiously at Frisk. She cleared her throat.

"I… I didn't expect you to wake up so s-soon. I thought you'd be unconscious f-for another day or so." She wrung her hands in nervousness.

Frisk's eyes widened. _Another day? That means I've already been asleep for at least a full day, then._ "How long have I been out?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper, considering how infrequently she'd used it. Alphys hesitated, staring at her feet.

"Approximately t-three days, I think. I-it's hard to tell, considering… y-you heal incredibly fast, actually. D-do all humans heal as quickly as you?" She glanced up, cautious curiosity in her gaze.

Frisk leaned back, shocked. "Three… days?" _I've lost so much time…_ "What happened?"

Alphys hesitated, picking up her notebook and sitting down. She rifled through her notes and found a blank page, then gulped, looking up. "After… after you got hit, I was… well, scared. I came out from behind my s-shelter, and t-tried to calm Mettaton down, b-before he took your Soul. I d-didn't need your death on my conscience, after all. That took awhile, a-and by the time I got back, you were… it took me a long while to get your Soul stabilized. It… it seemed as though a… darkness was taking hold within it. I t-tried to destroy it, to get it out of your s-system, but I… I failed. You were getting closer and closer to death, so I had to give up, a-and figure out how to stabilize your Soul. I-it's fascinating, how much your Soul differs from a monster's."

She took a deep breath. "After getting you stabilized, I noticed that your wounds were already healing. Fascinated, I s-scanned your Soul, to see how you were healing yourself. I-I found traces of magic in your system, which were being used to heal yourself. It's simply astounding, as all scientific research suggests that your k-kind cannot use magic naturally, that you humans have to use artifacts in order to power spells."

Frisk froze. _Magic. That means… Chara was right. Her…_ _ **Our**_ _LV is so strong, we can use magic. And I used mine to… heal myself._ Her thoughts were full of wonder and self-awe. _I didn't know I could do that, let alone while I'm asleep._ "You said you scanned my Soul?" She didn't know how monsters scanned Souls, seeing as they were sort of magical in their own regard, and science doesn't like to mix with magic.

Alphys nodded, becoming more comfortable with Frisk. Frisk could tell that this was the kind of work that Alphys loved to talk about, depending on the audience. "Yes. There are few ways that we can scan Souls safely and accurately. Thankfully, I helped develop one of those few. I have a scanner here, if you want to see. Actually, I could scan your Soul now. I want to see what a conscious patient's Soul looks like compared to an unconscious one." She stood up and hurried out the door, leaving her notebook behind.

Frisk shook her head. _Ah, Alphys. Always the smarty-pants, aren't you?_ She retreated back into herself, and glanced behind her, checking on Chara. Chara twitched, looking slightly more… alive than before. Chara groaned, her eyes fluttering.

Frisk hesitantly stepped forward, approaching the awakening demon. Chara twitched again, and her eyes opened momentarily, but shut again almost immediately. Frisk gulped. _Chara? Are… are you okay? Can you hear me?_ Chara's eyes opened again, ruby red and only slightly unfocused.

 **Ungh, don't talk so loud, sis.** Chara groaned, sitting up. She glanced at Frisk. **And stop staring at me like that. What the hell happened, anyways? I thought we were dead there.**

Frisk leaned against a mental wall. _Well, Alphys saved us from Mettaton's wrath, and nursed us back to health. We've been unconscious for three days, apparently._ She hesitated. She didn't trust Chara at all, not after that last incident, but she looked like she needed cheering up, and she'd already had a bad life, having died twice and then being inducted unwillingly into ghosthood. _You… were right. About the magic. I apparently healed myself with magic traces that appeared in my Soul. So maybe you were right there. But don't think I condone your actions for a second, Chara. I still think you're evil. You're just an evil genius, is what I'm saying._

Chara paused. **Wait. Did you say… we can use magic now? Ha. Ha! Ha! My plan worked! I knew it!** She dissolved into insane laughter. Frisk mentally backed away, creeped out by the sudden insanity. _Uh… no offense, but… what's wrong with you? We literally got shot in the chest, and you're_ _ **laughing**_ _?! Well, I know where you're thoughts are going, then…_ She rolled her eyes. Chara's laughter faded, and she smiled crazily at Frisk, her eyes wild and fey.

 **No, sister! I'm not laughing at what went wrong—I'm laughing at what went** _ **right**_ **.** She became serious, all business as she started to explain. **You see, I could sense that we were very close to being able to use magic. I thought,** _ **a few more kills, and our LV will increase, and then we'll be able to sling spells around, like all of these idiots**_ **! And it worked! I'm not crazy, sis. Well, maybe I am, but when I say that I can feel something within us, I really** _ **can**_ **sense something stirring within us. It just takes some effort to see! And now, well now we can dish out our own form of justice, can't we, sis? We're just as powerful as that fish, if not more, now! We're finally on the right path!** She beamed happily at Frisk, her red eyes glittering with triumph.

Frisk rolled her eyes. _Yeah… You keep on dreaming, Chara. For now, just be quiet._ She was surprised when Chara actually went silent, the two girls silently watching the door. After a few moments, Alphys came back in, a blue scanner in her lizard claws. "I'm back. S-sorry that it took me so long, but _someone_ thought it was a good idea to hide it from me." She rolled her eyes fondly. "He's got a… unique sense of humor, doesn't he?"

Frisk hesitated. _Who, Sans or Mettaton? I don't really think robots have humor, do they?_ Chara shrugged, still recuperating from whatever happened to her. Frisk followed suit, shrugging physically. "So, uh, how does this work?" She gestured at the scanner. Alphys started.

"Oh. Um, is… is it okay if I show you?" Frisk nodded. Alphys hesitantly stepped closer, caution fighting curiosity. Chara held up her hands, her eyes widening.

 **Wait, wait, wait. Hold up a minute. What the hell is the scientist going to do to us? Because that thing does not look healthy.** Frisk tried to keep her face neutral, and tried not to smile. She failed, at least mentally.

 _What, now_ _ **you're**_ _worried about my health? Gee, thanks. Also, she's going to scan my Soul, see what it looks like and stuff. Don't worry, I'm not afraid._ Chara's eyes shone with panic.

 **What?! And you were going to tell me about this** _ **when**_ **, exactly?! No, tell her she can't scan us. I won't let her. I don't like this idea. Please, just—**

Too late. Alphys aligned the shimmering blue panel along Frisk's chest, and pressed a button. The scanner darkened slightly, developing into a deep, rich blue, and Frisk's Soul was dragged out of her body. Frisk gasped in astonishment as she stared at the very culmination of her being.

Her normally bright red heart was slightly darker, tinted a blood-red color. Thin black veins snaked around Frisk's Soul, tightening and loosening slightly every second or so. Frisk felt shock settle in her stomach. _Oh._ She glanced up at Alphys, who seemed equally surprised.

"What? T-that wasn't there before. It… it seems like the darkness that I s-saw in your system before, that I t-tried to destroy, has come back. It's weaker than b-before, but it… it has a strong hold on you. I-I think the darkness in you is permanent, whatever it is." Frisk stayed silent, internally glaring at Chara.

 _You. You are the darkness within me, aren't you? You're those black things wrapped around my Soul. I don't know what you are, Chara, but I think you're not the innocent girl you say you were, back when you were alive. You're… darker. More… bad. Maybe… maybe you_ _ **are**_ _a demon after all._

Chara yawned. **What, you see something different, and you throw it out? Yeah, I'm the black stuff, but think about it. We had a deal, did we not? I get your Soul, in exchange for your life. I'm just making sure you keep your end of the bargain. Besides, darkness isn't all bad, is it? The night sky is dark, yet full of beauty. Is that really a bad thing? Think of me as the night sky, only inside of you.** Frisk took a steadying breath, and, after shooting a warning glance at Chara, turned back to Alphys.

"Can… can you see what's inside?" Her tone was hesitant, curious but wary. Alphys gulped, her expression one of confusion and fascination. She nodded, and fidgeted with the scanner. After a moment, data readings started popping on her screen as waves of blue energy surged from the scanner, holding Frisk's Soul gently but firmly.

"Let's see here… HP is 50, for some reason, and ATK is 5, and so is DEF… Oh! W-well, that's… unexpected…" Her voice changed from curious to fearful and wary. "Um… m-maybe it's b-best if we s-stop the scanner f-for now…" She chuckled nervously as she turned the scanner off and put it down on the chair. She glanced fearfully at Frisk.

Frisk leaned forward, worried. "What's wrong? Are you okay? What did you see?" She tried to get up, but gasped and sat back down as her chest wound flared up in pain. Alphys shuffled backwards, fear plain in her eyes. She wrung her hands as she backed up slowly, heading for the door.

"It's n-nothing, really. J-just something I'll have to check with someone m-more… specialized in this f-field. It's nothing t-to worry about. Just s-stay right here, I'll b-be back with s-someone who can figure t-this out." She turned and ran out the door, slamming it shut and locking it quickly.

Chara sat back, her eyes suspiciously indifferent. **Well, I think she's on to me. So, what's your plan, miss I'll-Figure-Something-Out? Because when she gets back, there's only two ways this can go down. One, she will kill you. Two, she'll keep you locked up as she studies you from afar, and when you're done being useful to her, THEN she'll kill you. So, how're we going to escape?**

Frisk bit her lip. _I'll figure something out, if I need to. For now, you can tell me why she looked so scared. Did you do something? And don't lie to me!_

Chara faded out of Frisk's mind, manifesting herself in the mortal world. Her ghost, as Frisk was starting to call this form, looked like she'd gone through two World Wars, a hurricane, and then lost a swordfight with Undyne. Which is to say that she was very transparent, almost invisible, and her clothes were torn and bloody. Her knife sheath was shredded almost beyond repair, and her hair was a bird's nest—just with more blood.

" **As she said, it's nothing you need to worry your head about. And no, before you go yelling at me, I didn't do anything to her. She just saw an unexpected figure when scanning our Souls. Unfortunately, that figure is a very important one, and if she decides to mess with it, she could… well, let's just say it's not going to be pretty. So, it's best if we disappear, or escape, into the Hotlands and try to make our way to the capital on our own."** She looked around, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Frisk glanced about. There was a window that overlooked the Hotlands, but it was shut tight and locked. There were no other doors in or out of the room. Chara called Frisk over to a corner, and pointed to a broken bedpost. **"Here, take this and smash the window. With luck, the scientist isn't in the building, and no-one will come to investigate the crash."**

Frisk held up her hand. "Woah, woah, hold on there. You're telling me to _break Alphys's window_?!" She crossed her arms. "No, that's going too far. She's just a harmless scientist who just saved our lives! I'm not destroying her property and running away from her! You've already done enough to her friendships and… relationships. You _killed_ Undyne, for God's sake! I'm sorry, Chara, but you're too crazy for me anymore. I have to stand up for myself at some point, and this is it." Her eyes glinted, her Soul steeling itself with Determination.

Chara growled at Frisk. **"You idiot; when she comes back, she'll kill us both! I'm saving our skins, sister! So stop being so ridiculously stubborn. It's just a window, it's not like it has feelings or anything."** Frisk shook her head, standing her ground. **"Look. I know we're not on the best of terms right now. I don't blame you for that. But right now, you have to trust me. This isn't some trifle situation here. What the scientist saw in that thing of hers could prove disastrous to both of us if and when she comes back. We must escape!"** Her tone was urgent and frustrated, and her eyes glowed with impatience.

Frisk shook her head. "No. I know you, Chara. You're going to end up killing someone again if I let you have your way. Alphys is a nice scientist—I'm sure you two could get along just fine if you just tried to be kind for once. But I know that you won't. You'll probably kill her, and then Mettaton for good measure. Well, I'm sorry to ruin your day like this, but I won't let you! So no, I won't break that window. You'll just have to stay here with me, and we'll sit and wait for Alphys to come back and explain just what, exactly, is going on." She sat back down on the cot, her eyes blazing with righteous Determination.

Chara turned to glare at Frisk. **"You don't understand, do you? You think that all your 'friends' will stand up for you, that they would never betray you. Well, you're wrong, sister. Everyone has a dark side, even those you trust. Take me, for instance. I was once a loving, carefree girl like yourself. But, after dying twice and being thrust into ghosthood, I am not as innocent, as trusting as I once was. Your scientist has a dark side too, I imagine. True, you might not think so, but everyone does. You have your moments as well, my sister. No-one is perfect, and your 'friend' will kill you if you don't listen to me."**

Frisk waved Chara's theories away. "Alphys? She's a nice, if shy, girl. She reminds me of myself, actually. And you were nice, too. Maybe, if you tried, you could be nice again. It doesn't take that much effort. Just try to keep the threats to a minimum, and you're bound to make some new friends!" She frowned. "And don't think that just because I'm nice to people doesn't mean I'll listen to your evilness. I won't become you, Chara. I won't fall to your evil ways. I will save this world from your scheming, in the end. And it all starts here, with a window."

Chara scoffed, her eyes blazing with indignant anger. **"Do you think that I'm giving you a choice? No, I was just asking nicely. Now, if you don't pick up this hunk of metal and bust down this window** _ **right now**_ **, I will be forced to do it myself. And trust me, you don't want that. Consider this a… favor, if you will. I am letting you keep control, after all."** Her voice went from barely controlled fury to a predatory purr. Frisk stepped back, feeling a shiver crawl down her spine.

Frisk stopped backing up. She took a deep breath, and shook her head. "No. You know what? You've been my personal demon for far too long, Chara. Now's my chance to finally take action. So go ahead and do what you will. You can't kill me. You need my powers. You can't make me do your will. I have a Soul of my own, no matter what you might think. And I won't let you take control again. Never again will I let you kill my friends. I won't ever just sit by and watch as you slaughter everyone I know and love. So go ahead. Try me, why don't you?" Her eyes hardened into brown gems of cold steel.

Chara faded into Frisk's mind with a growl that sounded more like a roar. Mentally, the demon child threw herself at Frisk in a blind rage, more than fed up with Frisk's blatant refusals. Frisk fell into a defensive crouch, and was bowled over by Chara's leap. Their body sat blankly as the two girls internally fought for control. Mental shrieks and screams rang through Frisk's head as an all-out cat-fight began between the two.

Chara slammed her palm into Frisk's chin, wrenching Frisk's mental head up. Frisk turned her head to the side, and struck out, hitting Chara solidly in the stomach. Chara flinched minutely, and Frisk quickly took advantage, punching fiercely at Chara's head. The blow connected, and Chara shrieked in pain. Chara countered by grabbing a fistful of Frisk's hair and _pulling_. Frisk screamed, a full-on screech of pure pain as her head was yanked to the side at an uncomfortable angle. Frisk kneed Chara in the gut, and Chara finally got the hint and rolled off of her. Frisk immediately tumbled onto the demon, and tried to strike at her face. Chara blocked, and countered with a slap to the cheek, which stung like _heck_.

Frisk bit down on her pain and clawed at Chara, who pulled her head away at the last second. All that Chara got was a shallow scrape to her forehead, which looked superficial at worst. Chara tried to bite Frisk fingers, but Frisk pulled away. Chara growled and kicked, sending poor Frisk flying towards a mental wall. Frisk slammed against that wall with a sickening crunch, and screamed in agony as mental bones cracked beneath her.

Just then, in the physical plane of existence, the two girls heard footsteps and distant voices. A door clicked, and the two sent panicked glances at each other, all grievances forgotten. Frisk hurriedly shuffled to the controls, her mental arm and ribs fractured. Chara sat, watching intently as Frisk turned their head just in time for the door to their bedroom to open.

Alphys came in, her eyes nervously falling onto Frisk. "S-sorry for t-the long wait, but _someone_ was being… difficult." Frisk's eyes widened as Alphys shifted to the side and Mettaton rolled in, his microphone misplaced for the time being. "I-I hope y-you don't mind, b-but I'd like t-to have Mettaton t-take a look at y-your Soul." Alphys looked rather frightened of Frisk, for some reason.

Frisk flinched away from the robot as Mettaton wheeled inside the room and closed the door gently but firmly behind him. She winced as her chest wound flared up, but otherwise ignored it as she slid off the bed and assumed a defensive stance, her eyes wide with fear.

Alphys noticed Frisk's nervousness and decided to explain the situation a little bit. "It's alright; he's not going t-to harm you. We made a deal, and I've hardwired him to keep his p-part of the bargain." Frisk's eyebrows rose, but she relaxed, her eyes wary as she allowed Mettaton to come closer. She nodded her understanding, and Mettaton cleared his metallic throat, getting everyone's attention.

"THAT IS , HUMAN. ALPHYS HAS AKED ME TO SCAN YOUR SOUL. AFFIRMATIVE?" Frisk nodded hesitantly. "VERY WELL. THIS SHALL NOT HURT, BUT I WILL NEED YOU TO STAND ABSOULUTELY STILL." Frisk warily eyed Mettaton as he approached, his hands glowing a bright blue.

Frisk stood stock still as Mettaton clamped his glowing hands to her forehead. After a few tense moments, where Frisk didn't so much as blink, Mettaton's hands stopped glowing and he lowered them, his screen filling with statistics and data. Frisk leaned forward to read it, but Mettaton turned, addressing Alphys. He verbally announced what was on his screen, and Chara tensed in anticipation.

"THE HUMAN HAS AN HP OF 50, A DF OF 5, AN ATK OF 5, AND A LV OF 30. SOUL DAMAGE: 0. SOUL MORALITY: CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. SOUL TRAIT: UNDEFINED." Mettaton relaxed. "NOW, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO MY FANS, WHO ARE JUST _DYING_ FOR AN INSIDE SCOOP OF MY NOT-SO-HUMBLE ABODE. TOODLES!" He rolled out of the room, leaving only silence in its wake. Frisk took a deep breath.

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _why you were so… panicked. Our LV… why is it so high?_ Chara mentally turned away, her expression distant. _Chara, I need to know. It's important, to both you and me. After all, we're both in the same body, are we not?_ She tried to imitate Toriel at the end, but failed horribly. Chara tried to hide a small smile.

Alphys, for her part, seemed extra jittery. "Oh, dear. I-I was afraid of that. It s-seems that your LV is abnormally high. Y-you know what LV stands f-for, right?" She wrung her hands nervously.

Frisk nodded. "Level of Violence. But… I haven't been that violent." She mentally glared at Chara. _But you have, demon._ Chara just shrugged, staying uncharacteristically silent.

Alphys pushed up her glasses, her expression thoughtful. "This is a n-new development, then. N-no monster has a LV higher than t-ten, and every human that c-came before you had an LV of o-one. If you haven't… hurt anyone, t-then your LV should also b-be one. But, obviously, it's not."

Frisk nodded, thoughtful. _It's you, isn't it, Chara? Somehow, your LV keeps getting higher. But, then, my LV wouldn't be 30, would it? Every time I Reset, my LV goes back down to one, no matter what._ "So, what's going to happen next?"

Alphys hesitated. "I'd like to keep you here for a while, i-if that's alright. Your wounds are s-still healing, and I'd like to study your Soul a little more, s-see why your LV is s-so high. Is… is that okay?" Frisk nodded, and Alphys let out a relived breath. "Okay. Well, I'm g-going to go and get you s-some breakfast. S-stay here, alright? It's best if you d-don't move around too much, so as to not aggravate your wound."

Frisk nodded, and settled back on her cot. Alphys left, and Frisk and Chara were left alone with each other once again, an awkward silence filling the air.

* * *

 **A/N: As I said, this really took on a life of its own. Chara, you surprise even the writers! Sorry the chapter ended the way it did, but I wanted a bit of a cliffhanger, and I had no idea where else I was going to end the chapter. So, yeah... Review time!**

 **Dragonjek: Yeah... From here on out, Frisk ain't trusting Chara. But, it's going to be hard for her, because she's used to trusting people, and seeing the good in them regardless of what they've done in the past. But there comes a time when even the most trusting of people can't trust someone, and Chara's definitely gone past that point. Let's just hope Frisk's able to deal with her when she gets... angry.**

 **dem bones: Thank you! Yeah, this fanfic's a little different. I'm thinking of doing a "cycle", where Frisk/Chara do a Pacifist, then two Neutral runs, then a Genocide run, two more Neutral runs, and finally a True Pacifist. That's a cycle, and we're sorta getting close to the end of the first one. And Chara's still an evil bastard in this story, but she has her moments when she's not. She's fircely protective of her powers (Frisk, whom she uses to play with Time), and she loves Asriel like a brother (her only true friend). After dying (twice), she became mad, and decided to avenge her death and Asriel's in any way she can, forever. And I basically summed up the whole fanfic right there, but... I'm a long-winded writer, and I suspect you don't mind too much. Also, thanks for the writer's block tips! I'll keep them in mind!**

 **So, I may have to put this story on hold for a little bit, as I'm trying to write a chapter for a different fanfic, and it's giving me a BAD TIME, so please don't hate me for that. I promise you'll have another chapter in the future, but for now, I have to work on other things. I hope you understand.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed this wacky, weird chapter. Have a great day or night, everyone!**


	14. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks for waiting patiently, guys! I'm sorry for the delay, but I had to get a chapter for a different fanfic done, and then it took me a while to come up with this one. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, though. Also, I have a question for you guys. I'm thinking of turning this story into a series, but I have no idea what to name the series. I would've suggested TimeTale, but that's already taken. If you have any suggestions, don't be afraid to let me know! Also, usual disclaimers apply. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Twenty-Two:

Chara sighed. **Well, the cat's out of the bag now, I guess. That was not your LV the robot scanned. That was mine.** She manifested herself in the mortal plane, turning away from Frisk. She went over to the window. **"Every time you Reset, I kept whatever LV I had before. Every time either of us kills, I get the EXP and LV from that kill. It only works on direct deaths, but it is enough. This is the power I have talked about in the past. This is our power, and our salvation."**

Frisk swallowed. "Why, Chara? Why didn't you tell me about this before? And why doesn't your LV Reset with the rest of the Timeline? And what do you mean, it's our 'salvation'? We don't need saving, if you haven't noticed."

Chara turned back to Frisk, her eyes blazing with fanatic insanity. **"If I had told you about this before, would you have made your deal with me? I think not. For, you see, it is our LOVE that allowed you to heal us, to use magic. And it's our LOVE that will guide us to the end of the game. For this IS a game, my sister. One with fatal consequences and a seemingly endless list of objectives we must complete before victory is handed to us. I will have my revenge, in the end. Victory will be a sweet release, for both of us, when the time is right. For now, however, let us carry on with our journey."** She turned back to the window, as if in a trance.

Frisk shook her head, backing away slowly. "You're bonkers, Chara. You've gone completely off-the-wall insane. I'm done. I'm just done." She turned, and tried to open the door.

Chara quickly ran in front of Frisk, blocking the exit. **"Since when did I say we were going out the front door, my sister? We're taking a shortcut."** She pointed behind Frisk, at the window. Her face transformed into a terrifying smile. **"You're going to break that window, my sister, and we shall play together as we find a way home. After all, a deal's a deal, right?"** She held out her hand, and Frisk hesitated.

"You're being way too creepy all of a sudden," she muttered. "And you never said that I had to break any windows when we made our deal. I'm going through the door. If you want to jump out of a window, go right ahead. I'm not stopping you, ghosty." She tried to step forward, but a strong wind made her stumble backwards. Chara frowned, her red eyes going dark.

" **On the contrary, my sister. I think you'll find that I never** _ **asked**_ **you break a window. I** _ **ordered**_ **you to."** She faded from the mortal plane, and took direct control over Frisk, without any warning whatsoever.

Frisk gasped, and watched, shocked, as her body was forced to pick up the broken bedpost. She stared as her body slowly moved over to the window and swung the bedpost as if it were a baseball bat. She heard the glass crack and shatter as if from a distance, and her mental body stood frozen in shock as Chara jumped out of the broken window and down into the Hotlands.

From there, Chara moved quickly, ignoring all the monsters who flung themselves out of her way as she marched through the hottest part of the Underground. She barely blinked as she came face-to-face with Muffet and her crew of spiders. They shrank back from the malevolent energy that emanated from Chara's being. Chara didn't so much as give them a second glance.

But Mettaton was different. After picking her way through the Core, Chara stormed straight into the arena without a thought, barely Saving at the entrance.

Mettaton whirred towards Chara, seemingly unafraid of the dark energy that coursed through her. "MY, MY. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH SOMEONE HAS BEEN NAUGHTY TODAY, HASN'T IT FOLKS? BREAKING WINDOWS, LEAVING WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GOODBYE, SCARING CIVILLIANS…. YOUR EVIL WAYS MUST BE CEASED IMMEDIATELY. BUT WHO AM I TO ORDER AROUND SOMEONE SUCH AS YOURSELF? NO, YOU WOULD NOT LISTEN TO ME NO MATTER WHAT I SAID, WOULD YOU? SO, I'M AFRAID THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO FINISH WHAT I STARTED."

He turned off all the lights. "BUT LET'S MAKE YOUR LAST LIVING MOMENTS… THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS OF YOUR LIFE!" With that, he transformed himself into Mettaton EX form, and the battle started.

Chara unsheathed her dagger, smiling eerily. **"You may have bested me before, but I assure you that I will not lose this fight."** She leaned backwards, dodging a kick from Mettaton. She laughed quietly. **"But let's see how much of a fight you'll put up this time, shall we?"** She slashed upwards with her dagger, aiming for Mettaton's face.

Mettaton twirled to the side, and the blow sailed past him. "YOUR FORM NEEDS A LITTLE WORK THERE, DARLING," he sneered, back-handing Chara with a metal hand. Chara slid to the side, avoiding the strike. She grimaced at a flash of pain in her chest, but ignored it, jumping at the robot and lashing out with her knife.

Mettaton grabbed Chara's hand mid-swing, and let her dangle from his outstretched hand for a moment, deliberating. "YOU SEEM SLOWER THAN BEFORE. PERHAPS YOUR WOUNDS ARE HINDERING YOU. OR PERHAPS YOU JUST KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, I WILL ALWAYS BE ONE STEP AHEAD, AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF YOU WINNING THIS FIGHT."

Chara growled at Mettaton, her eyes glowing pure red. **"Are you quite certain of that, robot?"** She slapped her hand up, catching Mettaton's other hand with her own. Both her eyes and her hand glowed bright red, and then there was a flash of light. Chara blinked, and when she looked back, the arm she had grabbed was nothing more than a smoldering ruin of metal, detached from Mettaton's body. She opened her hand, and the hunk of metal fell to the ground with a clang.

Mettaton screamed in pain, dropping Chara as he held his broken arm with his other hand. He glared at Chara, his eyes brightening for a moment before dimming back. "YOU WILL REGRET THAT," he seethed, taking a swinging kick at Chara.

Chara ducked, dodging the kick. She jumped up, and kicked out , striking Mettaton in the face with her legs. Mettaton stumbled, and Chara landed gracefully behind him. She rushed him, and in seconds the fight was over as she sliced cleanly through Mettaton's metallic body, cutting it in half. He stiffened, and Chara turned to sneer at him. He promptly exploded in her face, throwing her into the wall. Chara's vision swam as she hit her head, but she shook it off, getting to her feet.

Frisk gaped at the smoldering ruins that marked Mettaton's demise. _You… did magic. We really can use magic, then. Dang, that was… something._ Her mental eyes were wide with shock.

Chara smiled. She silently marched out of the room, not sparing a second glance for the fallen robot. She opened the elevator and punched in the number that led to the Capital. **I shall allow you to take over now, sister. Using my newfound powers took a lot of energy out of me, and thus I shall take a small nap. Wake me when things heat up again. I do not want to miss any action, after all.** She let Frisk take control, and slipped into a light slumber on her mental cot.

Frisk took a deep breath, and looked back, her hands shaking. There was nothing left of Mettaton except a few chunks of smoldering metal here and there. As she watched, the doors to the rest of the Core opened, and Alphys hurried in, looking worried.

"I-is everything alright? I heard screams and explosions, and the d-door was locked, so I had to—" Alphys looked up, and her eyes widened as she took in what was left of the room. She turned wide eyes onto Frisk. "What… happened? Is… Where's Mettaton?"

Frisk hung her head, silent. Alphys understood, and looked around with new eyes. "Oh… my… god…." She slowly walked over to a piece of Mettaton's ruined face, and grabbed it, holding it up for both human and lizard to see. "Mettaton…." She gently set the piece back on the ground, and glanced at Frisk, her eyes hardening with restrained fear and rage. "You… What did you do to him?"

Frisk took a deep breath. "I… I don't know. He attacked first, and I had to defend myself. He almost killed me… again. I raised up my hands, trying to shield myself, and... I'm really sorry, Alphys. I truly am."

Alphys hesitated, and then started collecting the pieces of Mettaton. Frisk went to help her, but backed off when Alphys glared at her. She'd never seen the shy scientist this hostile and angry before, and it admittedly terrified the young girl.

So she muttered her goodbyes, and slowly marched her way to the elevator that led to the Capital. Along the way, Frisk remembered the fun times she'd had with Alphys and Mettaton, of the dances and the anime. She felt… empty, inside. Like a void was being dug into her chest. She yearned for those good times, but she didn't know if she would ever get them again.

 _Oh, Alphys… I am so, so sorry. Mettaton, I didn't want to fight you. I… I wish I hadn't Reset, that first time. So many things could've been prevented, so many deaths…. Heh, I guess Flowey was right, just in the wrong way. It is kill or be killed… but it's not actual lives that are destroyed, in the end. Just the sanity of those who have to watch it all happen over and over again._ She knelt on the ground of the elevator.

 _I… I feel their pain, I think. Flowey's frustration at not being able to end the cycle, once it starts. Sans's hopelessness as he realizes that the Resets will keep happening, no matter what he does or doesn't do. I... I'm sorry. I wish I hadn't made your mistake, Flowey. I wish I could change my decision, Sans. But the past is the past, and not even I can change it, now._ She looked up as the elevator rumbled to a stop. _All I can do now is press forward, and hope that I get a happy ending… eventually._ She stood, and strode out of the elevator, and into the Capital.

Frisk marched through the empty walkways of the Capital, until she came to New Home. No presents were waiting for her in Chara's bedroom. _Just as well. I don't think I like the idea of giving her more weapons, as well as the magic we seem to be able to use now. She's too powerful, already._ She shuddered at the thought, and moved on, pausing to admire herself in the mirror.

Her hair was matted and tangled, a fine layer of dust coating her shoulders. She brushed the dust off as much as she could, her muddy brown eyes concerned. Her outfit was slightly tattered, but otherwise fine. Frisk's locket shone brightly in the light, the red amulet glinting in the mirror. Frisk took a deep breath, and strode downstairs, pausing at the door leading to the Judgment Hall.

Frisk swallowed nervously, pushing the door open. A Save Star shone brightly just across from the entrance, and she grasped it, looking around in search of Sans. He was waiting for her, halfway down the Hall. She started walking towards him, her heart pounding with anticipation.

As Frisk approached, Sans looked up from his position leaning on a column. "Hey, look who showed up, huh?" Sans greeted her as though he hadn't seen her in a while. "Been a bit busy, have we?"

Frisk swallowed uncomfortably. "I… I haven't been as busy as I was before," she replied. Her voice was slightly hoarse, and it cracked when she tried to talk with it.

Sans chuckled darkly. "Welp, that's a true statement, at least. I heard you gave Alphys quite a surprise. Two surprises, in fact. Want to explain, or shall I guess?"

Frisk wrung her hands, not sure what she could divulge safely. "I… I don't know what I can tell you," she hedged. "It's… complicated, and I don't want to get anyone hurt over the details. Just… just know that it came as a surprise to both Alphys and myself, both times."

Sans hummed, thoughtful. "I see. And what are your thoughts on these… surprises? Were they… beneficial, or did they come with a cost?"

Frisk thought for a moment. "The first one came as a pleasant surprise that turned unpleasant rather quickly. I… did not like the way that one ended. The second was entirely negative, and I want to redo it again. But, uh… I don't think that's possible. Not anymore. I mean, it _is_ still theoretically possible, but it'd come with… many consequences that I'm not sure I want to deal with at the moment." _I don't want an angry Chara trying to throttle me inside my mind… again._

Sans nodded, turning to regard the window. "Overall, you have displayed a discipline I wasn't sure you had within you anymore. You've… grown, I think. You're still a **dirty brother killer** , but at least he is safe, for the time being. You may have screwed up quite a bit in the past, but perhaps you're trying to… atone for your past sins. I can respect that. Just be careful, kid, because **I'm still watching you.** "

Sans turned to face Frisk, his expression unreadable. "You've passed Judgment, human. You've been warned. Now, continue on your journey, and good luck, wherever this world may take you." He turned and walked away, fading into the shadows once more.

Frisk gulped, and headed forward, walking into the Throne Room with a halting hesitation in her step. There was a Save Star next to the entrance, and Frisk grabbed it and Saved before moving onwards. She paused on the threshold. _Should I wake her up?_ She mentally turned to regard Chara. _But… she looks so peaceful when she's asleep. Besides, I think it wouldn't hurt her if she slept for a little longer. Who knows how much she slept, if at all, before she… met me? As a ghost, she probably hasn't slept very much. I should let her get her rest._

She turned back, focusing on the task at hand. _Besides, I think it's best if… if she didn't wake up and see what I'm about to do. She'd just kill him and try to take his Soul… again. No, I can't let that happen. Not again._ She marched forward, filled with Determination.

Asgore sat reading a book about golden flowers when Frisk entered the room. He looked up, a distant expression on his face. For a moment, the king didn't notice Frisk, but then she moved forward, into the light, and Asgore's eyes widened as they fell on the human child.

"Ah, you've come, then." He set aside his book and stood, his expression one of ancient sadness. "I am King Asgore, child. And… you are the human, correct?" Frisk nodded, beyond words. "I see." He turned to face the window. "I assume you know what we must do, human. I am sorry that it must come to this, but I have a duty to my people. I must free them, bring them to the Surface. To do this, I must have your Soul."

Frisk took a deep breath, and stepped forward. Asgore turned in surprise as Frisk started talking. "It doesn't have to be this way, Asgore. The way I see it, you guys don't have to break the barrier at all. True, you're trapped down here against your will, but this place is much better than anything the Surface could ever offer. Down here, you have a variety of climates that work in harmony with one another, and all the monsters respect each other and are kind, loving people. In contrast, my kind has destroyed much of their own land, waging war after pointless war against each other. I… I love this place, to be honest. I don't want to leave just yet, and I'm sure that you don't, either. To be honest, none of your subjects, least of all yourself, are ready for the kind of world I have lived in my entire life."

Asgore furrowed his brow. "The Surface cannot be that bad, surely. The others… They wished to go home." He took a shuddering breath as he remembered the Six Souls. "You are different, however. You do not seem to like your own kind all that much." He glanced at Frisk with curious eyes.

Frisk looked at her shoes, uncomfortable. "I… did not say that. I just… It's easier, down here, for me to find happiness, to find friends. And… you know this isn't right, Asgore. Murder is not right, trust me. Killing me won't solve your problems. In fact, it might just make things worse. My kind have developed quite a lot of machines that they would use against you if you broke the barrier. After all, humanity would think you a heartless killer who murdered seven innocent children in order to wage war on humanity. And trust me, you wouldn't survive for very ling if the whole world came together against your kingdom."

Asgore narrowed his eyes. "I see. I'm afraid, however, that I must continue on my path. I cannot erase the past, and we just need one more Soul before we are free to roam the Surface once more. You are but a child; you do not understand the responsibilities I must face every day, the duties I have to my people. But I can see that you will not back down from your stance, either. I am sorry, human, but we must end this the only way possible. We must fight, and the winner may keep your Soul."

The king sighed. "I hope you understand, child. I do not make this decision lightly. The fate of the entire Underground rests in your Soul. For the sake of my people, I must fight you. I do not want to, by any means, but it is my duty. It… it was nice to meet you, human. Goodbye." With that, he pulled out his trident, and the fight started.

Frisk refused to fight the king, instead focusing solely on dodging his blows. _If I can wear him down enough, I may be able to negotiate with him. I just have to be patient._ She leapt to the side, avoiding a trident through the chest. She then ducked, watching as a complicated pattern of fireballs flew over her head. She gulped, and looked pleadingly at Asgore, who did nothing except to nod his head in acknowledgment of her mercy. He then threw more fire at her.

Chara stirred in her sleep as Frisk jumped over the fire, feeling the heat whip past her ankles. **Nhh… Azzy…** Chara rolled over, apparently dreaming. Frisk ignored her, focusing on the trident that came flying towards her face. She slipped to the side, narrowly avoiding the projectile as it was hurled toward her.

The Trident glowed deep red, and flew back the other way, back into the hands of its owner, who then threw it again, this time focusing on Frisk's head. She ducked, circling around the king. Asgore turned with her, and the trident zoomed back to his outstretched hand.

Frisk swallowed. _Is it just me, or is he getting better at using his trident after every Reset?_ She mentally shrugged, preparing herself for the volley of fireballs that came flying in her direction from every side. She jumped and spun, weaving her way through the hail of fire that rained down on her. She stopped her dance when the flames dispersed, and found Asgore waiting for her next move. Frisk was already sweating, and she gulped as she realized that the fight had barely begun and she was already tiring.

Frisk sighed. "I won't fight you," she called to Asgore. "I refuse." Asgore only nodded, accepting her words as her turn, and swept his trident to the side, gesturing with his other hand. Fire appeared in his palm, and he waved his hand in Frisk's direction. Bursts of flame spurted from the king's outstretched hand, and Frisk's eyes widened as she spun away from the fire. _That attack is new. It's like he's just pouring flames from his hands as though they're fountains that flow with water. I should be careful; I don't want to get burnt to a crisp._

Frisk gulped, ducking underneath the trident as it was jabbed in her direction. _He's definitely getting faster with that thing._ She gasped as Asgore changed his grip on the trident and orange flames sprouted on the prongs. He swiped at Frisk, and she leapt out of the way, her eyes glowing in the light of the fire. "Stop this, Asgore! I am not your enemy! I just want to have a happy ending!" Asgore ignored her pleas, throwing more fire in her direction.

Asgore poured fire from his furry hand, and Frisk had to jump over the flames as he whirled around, trying to bake the child with his fire. Frisk fell back towards the door, feeling tired. _I can't hurt him, but if I don't fight, this battle will last forever. What should I do?!_

She ran forward, racing past Asgore in an effort to dodge his trident. He grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt, and, in an amazing show of strength, threw her across the room and into a wall. She landed on the ground, her head swimming. "Ugh…" Frisk groaned, rubbing her head. She looked up to see Asgore's face staring down at her with regret as he raised his trident. She gulped with fear, raising her hand in a feeble effort to stop the trident as she turned her head away.

Moments passed, and yet Frisk didn't feel any pain. She looked up, astonished to be alive, to see Asgore's face wavering as he stared at her locket, which glinted in the light. "That's her locket," he mumbled. "My… daughter's locket. Asriel gave it to her as a token of friendship. And…" He looked into Frisk's face as she slowly lowered her outstretched arm. "You remind me of her, you know? You look a lot like her. I know, she's been dead for a long time, but…" He lowered his weapon. "Where did you find it? I thought I lost it, long years ago."

Frisk stared up at the king, her vision slightly blurred. "I… found it. Around the Capital. I don't remember where, exactly, but… It's rather pretty, isn't it?" She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know you must feel terrible grief. You lost both your children to humanity, and then your wife left you. You're trying to avenge them, the only way you know how. And you feel it is your duty to continue this path, because you want your people to be happy and free."

Asgore took a step back, sighing. "You seem to know our history well, human. That, coupled with the fact that you bear my daughter's locket, makes me hesitate. You said earlier that killing you is not the only way to free my people. What do you suggest I do, instead?"

Frisk struggled to stand, leaning against the walls for support. "Well, you could stay here, for one. You have an amazing home, with a snowy forest, a waterfall zone, a superheated volcano-like place, the Core. You have everything you need to continue to thrive. On the Surface, us humans war against each other over territory and recourses, which are few and far between. Your people are happy here, as am I. I don't think your people would benefit very much on the Surface, and, well, there's a reason I came down here in the first place." She looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

Asgore hummed thoughtfully, tapping his trident on his leg. "True, my people seem to like the climate very much. But there is the fact that there isn't enough space for us as a race to thrive for much longer. We are few, this is true, but our population is growing at a fast rate. We must have more land if we are to survive."

Frisk thought for a moment. "Have you thought of reopening the Ruins? I know, it's pretty old, and parts of it are falling to pieces, but that's where you work as a team and fix it up. And…" She hesitated. "If you do break the barrier… I don't know how my… people… will react. After all, if we kill ourselves over something like food or land, just think what we would do when faced with literal _monsters_. Besides, there aren't all that many monsters to begin with, and there's millions, no, _billions_ of humans who would be fighting you. Sure, you have magic on your side, as well as absorbing Souls, but we have numbers and technology."

Asgore hesitated, deliberating. "You… have a point. Perhaps… perhaps I have been silly. Maybe it's best if we appreciate what we _do_ have, instead of fighting for something we don't need." He paused. "Thank you, human. For everything." He smiled uncertainly at Frisk, who smiled encouragingly back.

And that's when Flowey killed the king.

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 **A/N: Cliffhanger! This fight took WAY too long to write, and it REALLY sucks, but oh well. I hope you enjoyed anyways. Have a great day/night, and hopefully the next chapter is better than this.**


	15. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hey, guys. Again, sorry for the long wait. I've been uninspired the last few weeks, and had to get my inspiration back. Besides, I HATE writing action scenes, because I know I SUCK at them, but... It couldn't be helped. Besides, Flowey was just ACHING for a real fight, I can tell. Anyways, usual disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, let's see how terrible my fight scenes can get, shall we?**

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Chapter Twenty-Three

Frisk's eyes widened as Flowey's smiling face sprouted from the earth as hundreds of tiny "friendliness pellets" encircled Asgore, who stared in surprise at Frisk. The circle drew close, and Asgore cried out in pain as the seeds dug themselves into his body. He stiffened for a moment, eyes wide in shock and pain, and then his body collapsed into dust as his Soul faded into this world, cracks spreading across its dimming face.

Flowey cackled in triumph as he grabbed the Soul with his vines, throwing Frisk back into the wall as a wave of magic was thrown out. Chara woke with a start, and looked about, confused. **What the—** She noticed Flowey as he started to grow and transform. **Ohhh… You're in** _ **so**_ **much trouble, sis.** Frisk gulped in agreement as Flowey finalized his transformation, the other Human Souls apparently already absorbed.

Flowey took on the form of Omega Flowey… with a few enhancements, of course. The TV set was gone, replaced with Asgore's deformed body. Asgore's face was gone, replaced with Flowey's creepy smile. Instead of the six tubes in the shape of petals, there were seven glowing vines snaking around Asgore's chest, each a different color. There was a green vine, a cyan vine, a blue vine, a purple vine, an orange vine, a yellow vine, and a white vine. Other than these few changes, Omega Flowey was just the same.

Frisk gulped, took a defensive stance, and allowed Flowey to attack first. He decided to Save before throwing several waves of Friendliness Pellets at her in complex patterns that were hard to dodge. She only got hit with one seed, which bounced off her back and made her yelp as her HP went down by ten.

Chara sighed. **Here, let me take over for a bit. I'll show this weed the true meaning of power.** Frisk refused, leaping to the side and avoiding a flamethrower. _No, you'll just kill him. I can't allow that, Chara._ Chara growled as Frisk jumped to avoid vines that shot up out of the ground. **You misunderstand, sister. I want to give this flower a true fight. If he's going to kill us several times, let's at least make it as difficult as possible. You're making it way too easy. He's just toying with us right now, and you know it.**

Just then, one of the vines wrapped around Asgore's chest started to glow as knives started sprouting out of thin air. The Cyan Soul was getting a chance to fight. Frisk gritted her teeth. _Less arguing, more dodging._ She ducked, avoiding two knives as they flashed past her face. She then jumped up high and grabbed hold of a hanging vine, avoiding eight other knives.

She had an idea as she swung from the vine in front of Asgore's body. With one hand gripping the vine for dear life, the other hand unsheathed the dagger. Chara's eyes filled with surprise as Frisk lashed out clumsily with the dagger, striking her target with less force than Chara would've used on a useless minion.

The dagger struck true, and one of the glowing vines was severed. The yellow Soul was released as Flowey roared in genuine pain. Frisk let go in shock, and fell ten feet to the ground below. She landed heavily on her ankle, and almost fell down. She barely kept her footing, her Determination keeping her on her feet.

A glowing gun materialized in front of Frisk, who instinctively reached out for it. The gun moved away, aiming at one of the thick vines that supported Flowey from above. The gun fired itself, and one of the vines got hit, making the whole floor tremble as Omega Flowey roared his rage.

"You little twerp! You're going to pay for that! You AND your stolen Soul! After all, I have six others that still obey my commands! I'll kill you, again and again, you little idiot, until you learn the true meaning of this world, and come to terms with your inevitable demise!" He laughed cruelly, and the glowing gun fired off another shot, which ricocheted off the wall and hit another vine from behind. Flowey growled at Frisk, who shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Flowey, but I'm starting to get used to your threats. You're going to have to try a little harder than that to scare me." Chara smiled at Frisk. **Teach that weed a lesson** , she agreed, **and make sure it knows its place in this world. I have the power, not him. He's just a trembling little weed who doesn't know when to shut up and listen to its superiors.** Frisk mentally glared at Chara, but said nothing, more intent on dodging Flowey's attacks than she was on arguing with her inner demon.

Even with the gun helping her, Frisk felt as though this fight was going nowhere, fast. She got hit twice with vines, and her head started to swim. She gulped. _I don't want to die, though. I want to live, and beat Flowey on one try._

She felt some sort of energy well up inside her, and when she looked at her hands, they were glowing with green energy. She felt wonder and surprise as her wounds started to close. _Is… is this the magic I have? Am I able to heal myself, then? Is that what's happening?_ Apparently so, as her wounds healed, but she felt rather drained and tired afterwards. _Whew… That healing thing took a lot outta me._ Flowey wasn't impressed.

"Heal all you like, you little worm," he hissed. "I'll still kill you, in the end. Just face the inevitability of your death. It'll be a lot easier for everyone if you do." He cackled, and Frisk shivered despite herself.

Chara shook her head. **You're the worm, here, you little weed. You're going to die horribly, just like the last… four or five timelines. I'm starting to lose count of how many times you've died, honestly.** Frisk snickered. _It's been four Timelines, Chara. I'm still counting._ She jumped over a vine that tried to trip her, and gulped.

 _So… Is it just me, or do you think we have to cut down the other six vines, too?_ Chara shrugged. **I'd go for the face, but you're the one in control right now. Unless you'd like to move over?** Frisk snorted. _Yeah… Not bleeding likely, you demon._ Chara shrugged, leaning back. **Well, it was worth a try, I guess. Go die four million times, for all I care. I'll still be here when you change your mind.** Frisk ignored her, focusing on the battle.

She slid to the side to avoid a beam of energy from the squid's mouth that Asgore's body seemed to stand atop of. She then ducked to avoid a horde of flies as they flew from one flytrap to another. Flowey growled as Frisk tried to slash at one of his larger vines, and he slapped her away, hurling her to the other side of the room.

Frisk didn't give up, though. She glanced at the vines that snaked around Asgore's body. _The light blue one goes next, I think._ She jumped up, running to and fro as she tried to avoid flame throwers and friendliness pellets as she sprinted towards the abomination that was Omega Flowey. At the last second, she leapt high into the air, and tried slashing at the glowing vines. However, Flowey was having none of that.

Right before Frisk's knife hit her target, she felt a burning pain as a glowing red trident was thrust into her chest. She gasped and looked up to see Asgore holding on to the trident while Flowey's face beamed with cruel triumph. Flowey cackled something, but Frisk didn't quite manage to understand his words as she fell from Asgore's trident. She entered the Void of Death before she hit the ground.

In the Void, Chara turned mentally on Frisk. **You almost had that, you idiot. If you'd jumped a little earlier…** She sighed. **You're bad at this. True, you have that healing power now, but that's not going to help you when your enemy can kill you with one blow. Let me have control, and I'll take care of things in no time.**

Frisk refused. _No, Chara. I'm not arguing with you. I'm_ _ **not**_ _letting you have control anymore._ She reached for the corrupted red Star that floated in front of her, thanks to Flowey.

Chara didn't let her Load her Save, however. With a growl, she threw herself onto Frisk, wrestling control away from her. Frisk gasped and struggled to escape Chara's grasp, wiggling and kicking. Chara slapped Frisk, who flinched away. **Stop fighting me, and I'll let you go.** Frisk went limp, and Chara let go of Frisk… and put her into a leather harness that she'd created from her willpower as Frisk was distracted. The harness hung from the mental ceiling, and was such a tight fit that Frisk could do little more than turn her head and wiggle her fingers a bit.

Chara crossed her arms as she stood in front of a livid Frisk, who glared daggers at her inner demon. **You know, sis, I wouldn't have had to do this to you if you just let me have control. But it seems that you've forgotten about our deal. So, here's how it's going to go. I'm going to kill this little twerp of a weed. Then, I'll hang out in the onyx room for a few months, practice my moves and such, and then I'm going to hunt down and destroy all the monsters you've spared from my vengeance. Then, in a year's time, I'll Reset, and we'll start all over again.**

Chara smiled, and Frisk shuddered at the sight. Chara's eyes blared bright red as she delivered this final sentence. **After all, you were never in control.** Chara's eyes dimmed as she turned back to the Void, taking control of Frisk's body. She grabbed the Save Star, Loading the Save with a twisted smile.

Flowey was waiting for her. "Ha! You died to me already, you pathetic weakling! Just embrace the inevitability of it happening again! It'll be much easier if you just let me win, after all…." Chara snorted at Flowey.

" **He he he… You think I'm going to back down, weed? No, this battle's just started."** She smiled, her eyes glinting. She ducked underneath a vine as several of those snaking, thorny branches came hurtling in Chara's direction. She unsheathed her dagger and started slashing, hacking away two vines before Flowey even had time to react.

Flowey howled in pain and rage as he withdrew his vines. He narrowed his eyes as hundreds of friendliness pellets soared towards his opponent. She started dodging, whirling and ducking to avoid the majority of the pellets. Those that she couldn't avoid she hit out of the air with her dagger.

Chara heard gunshots ringing behind her, and glanced back to see the yellow gun from before shooting at the squid thing. Instinctively, Chara jumped out of the way as the squid countered with a gigantic beam of energy that _just_ missed the floating gun. Chara shrugged and went back to battling Flowey, allowing the gun to shoot whatever it wished.

Chara dashed to the side, evading the flamethrowers. She then ducked to avoid the vines that tried to hit her into a wall. Flowey growled as Chara slashed out, severing one of his vines. "Fine, if you're going to be like that, then how about a pleasant chat with an old friend?" One of the vines snaking around Asgore's chest glowed. Chara noticed that it was the white one. She grimaced, but stayed silent as the battle continued.

Fireballs were thrown towards Chara from seemingly random directions. Chara ducked and dodged, rolled and whirled, avoided and deflected. She was never hit. Chara eyed Asgore's chest. **You got one Soul, sis.** She mentally sneered at Frisk as she ran forward. **But I can get two.** She leapt, high into the air, and came down, dagger first, on Asgore's chest. She severed first one, then another Soul as she fell down. She landed lightly on her feet, her eyes glinting with triumph as the purple Soul and the cyan Soul were freed from imprisonment.

Flowey roared in pain and rage as a cyan-glowing whip and a purple pair of glasses materialized next to Chara. Chara smirked as the whip lassoed the flytraps and tied them back so they couldn't release their flies. **"You were saying, weed?"** The glasses focused the light at just the right angle, creating a beam of energy that it then started burning hanging vines with. Flowey and the squid shrieked with identical screams of agony as their weapons were being taken away.

Flowey glared at Chara with livid loathing in his eyes. "You. Will. Die. I'll see you BURN for that, you IDIOT!" He sent waves upon waves of never-ending pellets flying towards Chara. " **DIE**."

Chara smiled. **See, sis? Now** _ **that's**_ **how you free the Souls.** She flipped her knife playfully as she approached the waves of pellets indifferently. **Now watch as I show you the** _ **real**_ **way of dodging bullets.** She cackled crazily, and started sprinting, until she was upon the bullets of Friendliness Pellets.

Chara turned into a blur of motion, seemingly becoming wraithlike as she darted among the pellets. Her feet barely touched the ground as she danced and ducked, weaved and whirled, leapt and rolled through the bullets. She wasn't touched by a single projectile, and Frisk felt her mental jaw drop as Chara dodged the thousands upon thousands of small seeds that bombarded her for several minutes.

While Frisk was amazed and awed, Flowey was _not_ impressed. He growled and shouted, furious. He tried to hit her with vines, but Chara just jumped over them, still a blur of movement. He tried roasting her with the flamethrowers, but she just ducked and spun, avoiding the flames. He even tried blasting her with the squid, but she just sailed past the beam like it was nothing. Flowey grimaced with frustration and rage. What did this… _human_ have that could somehow lend her the speed and strength that she was using?

Chara wasn't about to tell him, however. She leapt, dodging about a hundred pellets, and slashed out with her knife. Flowey screamed in agony as another Soul was freed, this one the orange Soul. As Chara landed, Flowey roared, louder than Frisk had ever heard him roar. "You! I've had enough of this nonsense! If you're going to play with the Souls, then how about I use my own?" The blue and green vines dimmed as floating pans and ballet shoes filled the room. "Let's see how you handle this, then!"

Chara smiled. **"Aww, how sweet of you to give me a present,"** she deadpanned. **"Oh, wait. I'm about to destroy your presents!"** She slashed out at one of the pans, which parried the blow and countered. Chara skipped back, grinning as the fight intensified. Frisk gulped. _Uh… I think you might not win this one, Chara. Three against one…._ Chara kept grinning, ducking underneath a pan that flew towards her face.

 **Ah, but you forget something, sis.** Chara sliced out, cutting a ballet shoe in half. **We've freed four Souls. I think it's five against three, actually.** And she was right. The cyan Soul held on to the flytraps, and the yellow Soul shot the Squid in the eye, distracting it. The purple Soul had already burned several vines down, and was still going strong. The orange Soul, recently freed, materialized a pair of hardened fists, which started punching the flamethrowers into a useless hunk of metal.

Chara narrowed her eyes, her knife glinting in the light as she slashed and sliced ballet shoe and glowing pan alike. **He's got the white vine, the blue vine, and the green vine left. Just one or two more slashes should take him down, and I'm not even working up a sweat yet.** She thought for a moment. **But… this battle** _ **has**_ **drawn on for a while… And I think I've rested enough… I think I could get a magic blast off. But, of course, if that doesn't work, you're going to have to take over.**

Frisk thought about it. _If you blast him, you'll kill him. On the other hand, there's a good chance you won't hurt him enough, and the fight will continue. In that case, you'll have to rest, and I can take control again._ The more she thought about it, the better the option looked. _Alright, go for it, then._ Chara mentally nodded, slashed one final ballet shoe, and gathered her magic.

Chara's eyes blazed a violent red, and her knife glowed blood red, too. She smiled a twisted grimace, cackling softly as her power reached its peak. Flowey froze, frowning, as he realized that something was amiss. And then, with a gesture, a wave of red, destructive energy blasted from Chara's body. Flowey flinched away, but ended up being engulfed by the blast anyway. Frisk blinked as everything went white for a moment. Then, as the world regained its color, she gasped.

The room was utterly destroyed. Bits of leaf and petal floated through the air, but the only unharmed thing, besides Chara, was a Save Star that stood where Flowey had been a moment before. Frisk gaped at the mass destruction. The Throne Room was no more, as the Throne was long destroyed. The Souls had disappeared without a trace, and as for Flowey… There was nothing left.

Chara sighed, exhausted. She let Frisk regain control, fading into her mental cage. She looked battered and worn, but triumphant. **That's what you get, weed. Now, sis, I'm going to take a nap. G'night.** She lay down on her cot, falling fast asleep within moments.

That left Frisk, free to do whatever she wished. She continued looking around at the destruction for a moment. The walls had buckled, and whole sections of wall were missing. If Frisk leaned a little to the left, she could see the Barrier from where she stood. She turned, and saw that the door to the Judgment Hall had been blown off its hinges, and the wall fared the same as the others of the room. She sighed.

"This is going to be a long year, isn't it?" Frisk sheathed the dagger that was still held in her hand and went to work, cleaning up the mess Chara had made. "Yep, it's going to be a long year ahead."

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah... Sorry about the long battle, but I wanted to make it a bit different, and... You saw where that got me. Anyways, Review Time!**

 **Dragonjek: Yeah, Frisk's luck just hasn't been all that great since this story began, hasn't it? Hopefully she'll get a break or two in the next few chapters.**

 **So, I hope you guys liked this chapter (somehow), and have a great day (or night, whichever)!**


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